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OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

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GIFT  OF 


COMMODORE  BYRON  MCCANDLESS 


NORWOOD  SERIES 

HISTORY 

BIOGRAPHY-ADVENT  URZ 


THE    NORWOOD    SERIES 

Newly  arranged  Standard  Col- 
lection of  History,  Biography, 
Heroism,  and  Adventure 

Fifty  favorites  in  new  series  New  uniform 
cover  design  Attractive  dies  Fine  cloth 
binding  Illustrated  Price  per  volume  $i 

This  series  can  truly  be  said  to  cover 
the  world  in  its  scope,  as  it  chronicles 
heroic  and  daring  exploits  in  all  climes, 
told  by  an  exceptionally  strong  list  of 
authors .  In  addition  we  have  included 
the  full  line  of  George  Makepeace 
Towle's  famous  "  Heroes  of  History  " 

and  the  ever  popular  Headley  biographies.  It  is  just  the  library  to 
entertain  and  inform  a  live  boy,  and  while  composed  of  books  that 
arouse  eager  interest  is  wholly  free  from  cheap  sensationalism. 

1.  Andersen,  Hans  Christian  —  The  Sand  Hills  of  Jutland 

2.  Armstrong,  F.  C.  —  The  Young  Middy 

3.  Barrows,  Rev.  William  —  Twelve  Nights  in  a  Hunter's  Camp 

4.  Ballantyne,  R.  M.  —  The  Life  Boat 

5.  Brehat,  Alfred  de — The  French  Robinson  Crusoe 

6.  Cozzens,  Samuel  W.  —  The  Young  Silver  Seekers 

7.  Clarke,  Mary  Cowden  —  Yarns  of  an  Old  Mariner 

8.  De  Mill,  Prof.  James  —  Among  the  Brigands 

9.  The  Lily  and  the  Cross 

10.  The  Winged  Lion  or  Stories  of  Venice 

11.  Farrar,  Capt.  Charles  A.  J. — Down  the  West  Branch  or 

Camps  and  Tramps  around  Katahdin 

12.  Eastward  Ho  !  or  Adventures  at  Rangeley  Lakes 

13.  Up  the  North  Branch     A  Summer's  Outing 

14.  Wild  Woods  Life  or  A  Trip  to  Parmachenee 

15.  Frost,  John,  LL.D.  —  Wild  Scenes  of  a  Hunter's  Life 

16.  Hall,  Capt.  Charles  W.  —  Twice  Taken     A  Tale  of  Louis- 

burg 

17.  Harley,  Dr.  —  The  Young  Crusoe  or  Adventures  of  a  Ship- 

wrecked Boy 

18.  Headley,  P.  C.— Facing  the   Enemy      The   Life  of  Gen. 

Wm.  Tecumseh  Sherman 


LEE  and  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


THE    NORWOOD    SERIES  — Continued 

19.  Fight  It  Out  on  This  Line     The  Life  and  Deeds  of  Gen. 

U.  S.  Grant 

20.  Fighting  Phil     The  Life  of  Gen.  Philip  Henry  Sheridan 

21.  Old  Salamander     The  Life  of  Admiral  David  G.  Farragut 

22.  Old  Stars     The  Life  of  Gen.  Ormsby  M.  Mitchell 

23.  The  Miner  Boy  and  His  Monitor    The  Career  of  John 

Ericsson,  Engineer 

24.  Kingston,  W.  H.  K.  —  Anthony  Way  mouth 

25.  Ernest  Bracebridge  or  School  Boy  Days 

26.  The  Adventures  of  Dick  Onslow  among  the  Redskins 

27.  The  Cruise  of  the  Frolic 

28.  Lee,  Mrs.  R.  —  The  African  Crusoes 

29.  The  Australian  Wanderers 

30.  McCabe,  James  D.f  Jr. — Planting  the  Wilderness 

31.  Macy,  William  H.  —  The  Whales  We  Caught  and  How  We 

Did  It 

32.  Morecamp,  Arthur  —  Live  Boys  or  Charlie  and  Nasho  in 

Texas 

33.  Live  Boys  in  the  Black  Hills  or  the  Young  Texas  Gold 

Hunters 

34.  Pearson,  Dr.  C.  H.  — The  Cabin  on  the  Prairie 

35.  The  Young  Pioneers  of  the  Northwest 

36.  Rowcroft,  Charles  —  The  Australian  Crusoes 

37.  St.  John,  Percy  B.  —  The  Arctic  Crusoe  Adventures  on  the 

Sea  of  Ice 

38.  Towle,  George  Makepeace  —  Drake  the  Sea  King  of  Devon 

39.  Magellan  or  The  First  Voyage  around  the  World 

40.  Marco  Polo  His  Travels  and  Adventures 

41.  Pizzaro  His  Adventures  and  Conquests 

42.  Raleigh  His  Voyages  and  Adventures 

43.  Vasco  da  Gama  His  Voyages  and  Adventures 

44.  The  Heroes  and  Martyrs  of  Invention 

45.  Verne,  Jules —  A  Winter  in  the  Ice 

46.  Around  the  World  in  Eighty  Days 

47.  The  Wreck  of  the  Chancellor 

48.  Wraxhall,  Sir  Lascelles  —  Golden  Hair    A  Tale  of  the  Pil- 

grim Fathers 

49.  The  Prairie  Crusoe  or  Adventures  in  the  Far  West 

50.  Willis  the  Pilot    A  Sequel  to  the  Swiss  Family  Robinson 

LEE  and  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


HEROES   Or   THE  REBELLION 


OLD  SALAMANDER 


THE  LIFE  AND  NAVAL  CAREER 


ADMIRAL  DAVID  GLASCOE  FAERAGUT 


BY 


REV.  P.  C.  HEADLEY 

or  LIVES  or  "GENERAL  u.  s.  ORANT,"  "GENERAL  SHERMAN, 

stKM.    MIKIIIliAN,"    "UENERAL    MITCHKL,"    "JOHN    ERIC8HON," 
"  KMPRRMH     40HKIMIISE,"  "  NAPOLEON      BONAPARTE,"  "  MARY, 
QUEEN    OF  SCOTS,"   "  LArAYETTE  ;  "   "WOMEN    or    T1IE 

BIBLE;"  "TUE  IHLANU  or  niue" 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND   SFIEPARD,    PUBLISHERS 


KNTERED,  according  to  Act  of  ('ongress,  In  tne  year  1860,  by 

WM.  H.  AWL.KTUJN, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  State*  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York 


TO    THB 

MIDSHIPMEN   OF   THE   AMERICAN   NAVY. 

THIS 

RECORD  OP  AN  ILLCSTR1UUS  CAREER, 

THOSE    BEGINNING   WAS    A    FAITHFUL    PERFORMANCE   OP   TH* 

DUTIES     WHICH      BELONG     TO     THEIR     RANK, 

18     INSCRIBED 

IT 

THE  AUTHOR 


961712 


PKEFACE. 


THE  sketch  of  the  great  naval  commander  ol 
the  age  is  added  to  the  biographies  of  military 
heroes  for  youth,  because  his  life  is  an  unquestioned 
example  of  an  honorable  and  most  successful  ca- 
reer. To  some  of  the  sources  of  information  the 
author  was  referred  by  the  Admiral  himself. 

The  material  for  the  sketch  of  the  Admiral's 
early  history  are  not  so  full  as  might  be  desired.  His 
life  on  the  sea  necessarily  made  it  quite  impossible 
to  gather  many  incidents  of  interest  in  connection 
with  his  subsequent  career,  which  would  have  be- 
come traditionary  in  a  community  where  the  years 
of  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed. 

The  "  Journal"  of  Commodore  David  Porter,  of 
the  Essex,  Abbott's  "  History  of  the  Rebellion," 


8  PREFACE. 

and  the  "Army  and  Navy  Journal,"  have  been 
valuable  works  of  reference. 

Life  on  board  a  man-of-war,  and  facts  in  regard 
to  the  last  conflict  with  England,  are  given,  to  in- 
terest the  youthful  reader,  and  shed  light  on  the 
career  of  the  boy-midshipman  in  the  parlier  period 
of  the  American  navy.  To  our  Yice-Admiral  the 
sudden  and  rapid  growth  of  our  marine  power  dur- 
ing the  four  years  past,  must  be  a  marvellous  con- 
trast with  the  small  progress  made  during  the  half 
century  of  his  previous  service  in  it. 

This  record  of  his  long  experience,  and  the  gi- 
gantic greatness  of  our  present  naval  force,  is  offered 
to  the  youthful  reader  with  the  hope  that  he  will 
find  both  instruction  and  entertainment,  and  that 
it  will  aid  him  in  the  formation  of  a  patriotic  and 
Christian  character,  whatever  the  profo8*'on  or  call- 
ing chosen  for  the  activity  of  manhood. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

nan 

rh«  Uiand-Home  of  the  Farragut  Family— Mahon  and  Ciudadella— ReinoT»l 
to  the  New  World— The  Name  In  the  Revolutionary  War— David's 
Birth— Early  Love  of  the  Sea— His  Fearless  Spirit,  ....  IB 

CHAPTER  II. 

David  is  appointed  Midshipman— Life  on  board  a  Man-of-war— The  Deoki 
— Mess-room — Divisions  of  Time — The  Officers — Midshipmen — Their 
Promotion, 21 

CHAPTER  III. 

More  about  the  Men  of  a  Man-of-war — First  Lieutenant — The  Purser— 
The  Surgeon — The  Midshipmen — The  Quartermaster — Boatswain— Gun- 
ners—Mechanics — The  Government  of  the  Frigate,  ....  80 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Midshipman  Farragut  at  Sea— The  American  Navy  at  that  time— The  War 
with  England— The  Essex— Her  first  Cruise, M 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Essex  on  the  Ocean-plain  of  Conflict — A  Prize — Midshipman  Farra- 


10  CONTENTS. 

MM 

gut— A  Battle  and  a  Victory— Naval  Operations  m  other  Quarters— 
The  Essex  ordered  on  a  long  Cruise— The  Preparation— At  Sea  again,   .    5« 

CHAPTER  VI. 

O»  to  Port  Praya— Its  Position  and  People— Incidents  Interesting  to  the 
"  Young  Gentlemen  " — The  Sleeping  Apartments  on  board  a  Frigate — 
Captain  Porter  cares  for  his  People — Encounter  with  a  British  Brig— 
The  Prize— At  St  Catharine's, .  .  66 

CHAPTER  VII. 

A  Farewell  to  Mowings — Around  Cape  Horn — Scunty  Fare — A  Rat  a 
Dainty— A  Cup  of  Pure  Water  at  Sea— Gales -Perils  Doubling  the 
Capo— Mocha— A  Tragedy, ...  89 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Sailing  in  the  Fog— Valparaiso— A  glad  Sight  — The  Welcome  —  Novel 
Scenes — An  expected  Battle— Life  in  Chili — Down  the  Coast — A  stranga 
Hermit — Ocean  Scenes — The  Sailors  Punishment  and  Escape — Sail 
ho  1— A  brief  Order— The  Tortoise— A  Tomb  and  Epitaph,  .  .  .Hi 

CHAPTER  IX. 

A  mew  Prize — The  Englishmen  Scold- -List  of  the  Captured  Vessels- 
Volcanic  Exhibition — Enchanted  Island — Dead  Man's  Island — A  Sad 
Burial — The  "  Young  Gentlemen  "  Promoted — Essex  Junior — Prizes — 
James'  Island — A  Duel — Off  for  the  Washington  Islands — Achieve- 
ments in  the  Pacific, 1M 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Cruise  to  Washington  Islands— Cheerfulness — A  New  Order — A  Strong* 
People — Tattooing  Incidents — Madison's  Island — A  Wild  English- 
man— War  among  the  IslanUers — The  "Yankees'  in  the  Fray — The 
Battle  and  Victory 10t 


CONTENTS  11 

« 

CHAPTER  XI. 

nun 

A  Conspiracy — Bum — The  Plot  frustrated — The  Island  under  the  Stan 
and  Stripes — The  Typee  War — Captain  Porter's  Defence  of  his  Inva- 
sion—Native Customs  and  Island  Scenes, 1M 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Departure  from  Madison's  Island — Arrival  at  Valparaiso — Scenes  in  the 
Harbor — Unexpected  appearance  of  the  Enemy's  Ships — Correspond- 
ence— Disregard  of  Neutrality  Laws — The  Battle — Midshipman  Far- 
ragut a  Hero  in  the  Fight— Is  Wounded— Captain  Porter's  Escape,  .  1C* 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Midshipman  Farragut  returns  to  the  United  States — A  Good  Story — Enters 
the  Military  School  at  Chester  —  Again  at  Sea — The  Chaplain  his 
Friend — At  Tunis  with  the  Consul — Historic  Scenes — Development  of 
Character — Afloat  again — At  Norfolk — Marriage — Promotion,  .  .  IN 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Civil  War  opens— Norfolk— Captain  Farragut— Exciting  Soenea— Pa- 
triotic Words — Leaves  Norfolk — Escape  North — His  New  Home — 
Offers  himself  to  the  Country— Naval  Expeditions— The  Blockade,  .  191 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Preparation  to  attack  New  Orleans — General  Butler— Farragut— Pro- 
gress of  the  Enterprise — Forts  Philip  and  Jackson — Fire  Kafts— The 
Signal  Shell  —The  Bombardment  opens, *X 

CHAPTER  XVL 

The  Advance— The  Terrible  Conflict— The  Fire-raft  and  Rams— Victory- 
Thanksgiving — Anecdotes  of  the  Admiral — The  Effect  of  the  Victory 
on  the  Nation— Up  the  River — Passing  Pjrt  Hudson — The  Second 
(Juiintlot  of  Fire,  .  Jll 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

FAGl 

The  Si '.nation  of  Mobile — Preparations  to  attack  its  Fortifications — Their 
Strength — Generals  Canby  and  Granger— The  Advance — General  Order 
— The  Engagement — Anecdotes  of  the  Admiral — His  Report  of  the 
Splendid  Affair — Thanksgiving — A  Song  of  Victory,  ....  246 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Th«  National  Joy — The  President's  Thanks — Congressional  Action — Other 
Voices  of  Gladness — Leave  of  Absence — Arrival  at  New  York — The 
Welcome — Is  created  Vice- Admiral, 27Z 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  Festival— The  Merchants  of  New  York  and  the  Vice- Admiral— The  Tes- 
timonial— Correspondence — Farragut  at  Richmond — At  Norfolk — A 
Noble  Speech— Visits  other  Places — Vice-Admiral  Farragut  compared 
with  Naval  Heroes  of  the  Past — His  True  Greatness — A  Poet's 
Offering  .  .  .  W 


CHAPTER  I. 


Che  Island-Home  ot  the  Farragut  Family  —  Mahon  and  Cindadella  —  Removal  U 
the  New  World—  The  Name  tn  the  Revolutionary  War—  David's  Birth— 
Early  Love  of  the  Sea  —  His  Fearless  Spirit 


Farragut  family  were  originally  from  Catalo- 
nia. This  province  lies  on  the  Spanish  coast, 
and  along  'the  Pyrenees  ;  its  "  blushing  vine- 
yards, verdant  landscapes,  and  its  whitewashed 
villages,"  glowing  in  the  sunlight,  before  the 
traveller's  delighted  eye,  while  the  ship  that  bears  him 
onward  toward  Marseilles,  or  some  less  noted  port  on  the 
sea-border  of  France,  cuts  the  waves  of  the  blue  Mediter- 
ranean. 

Southeasterly,  and  nearly  midway  between  Spain  and 
Africa,  and  opposite  the  kingdom  of  Valencia,  are  the  Ba- 
learic Islands,  now  a  province  of  Spain.  The  largest  i* 
Majorica,  the  second  Minorica,  the  third  Ivica,  with  two 
smaller  ones,  Formentera  and  Cobrera.  Minorica  was  the 
island-home  of  George  Farragut,  our  Admiral's  father. 


14:  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAEEAGUT. 

These  sea-girdled  lands  were  first  settled  by  the  an- 
cient Phoenicians,  and  successively  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Rhodians  and  Carthagenians.  The  leader  of  the  last- 
mentioned,  Hanuo,  founded  Mago,  called  Mahon,  and 
Tamnon  or  Ciudadella,  on  the  opposite  extremities  of 
Minorica. 

The  Romans  added  the  Balearic  Islands  to  their  Em- 
pire 123  B.  c.,  and  held  them  for  five  and  a  half  centu- 
ries. Then  they  were  seized  by  the  Vandals,  who  swept 
over  Europe,  and  still  later  by  the  Goths.  At  length  the 
Moors  became  the  possessors  of  them,  and  they  have  been 
for  a  long  period  quietly  under  the  sceptre  of  Spain. 

Ciudadella  was  the  capital  of  Mioorica,  and  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Farragut.  It  is  about  thirty  miles  from 
Mahon,  and  is  still  the  favorite  town  of  the  nobility  and 
gentry.  You  will  be  interested  in  a  lively  description  of 
the  people  and  scenery  of  the  island  from  the  pen  of  a 
young  official  on  board  a  man-of-war,  an  instructor  of 
midshipmen,  of  whom  you  will  learn  more  hereafter.  He 
•ailed  in  the  U.  S.  Frigate  Constellation. 

"  To  an  American,  whose  land  smiles  with  plenty, 
one  of  the  most  striking  contrasts  Minorica  presents,  is  its 
extreme  poverty.  Proofs  of  this  meet  you  on  all  hands, 
and  in  every  shape.  You  see  them  in  the  number  of 
mendicants  that  crowd  the  streets,  in  the  modes  to  which 
many  of  the  inhabitants  ivor'  to  obtain  subsistence,  in 
the  fare  to  which  they  are  obliged  to  submit,  and  in  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIEAL    FAEKAGTTT.  15 

low  prices  affixed  to  manual  labor  and  domestic  service*. 
As  you  pass  through  the  town,  hosts  of  ragged  boys  whose 
pertinacity  no  refusal  can  overcome,  follow  you  from  street 
to  street,  with  faces  wrinkled  into  a  thousand  shapes  of 
woe,  and  with  the  incessant  whining  cry  of '  Officer,  give 
me  one  penny  for  de  bread — I  say,  Officer,  give  me  one 
penny.' 

"  There  is  another  class  of  beggars,  composed  of  old 
men  and  women,  who,  from  age  or  infirmity,  are  unable 
to  work,  and  therefore  really  necessitous.  Such  hare 
stated  times  for  asking  alms,  which  are  on  Saturdays  and 
some  of  the  Church  holidays.  They  go  from  house  to 
house,  generally  visiting  only  the  families  to  whom  they 
are  known.  They  never  enter,  but  tell  their  tale  of  pov- 
erty and  suffering  without ;  at  the  same  time  beseeching 
some  trifling  gratuity  for  the  '  love  of  God  and  the  blessed 
Virgin.'  To  the  honor  of  that  portion  of  the  inhabitants 
who  are  in  better  circumstances,  it  must  be  mentioned 
that  they  are  rarely  turned  away  without  an  alms. 

"  I  used  frequently  to  walk  out  in  the  country,  and, 
go  in  whatever  direction  I  might,  it  rarely  happened  that 
I  did  not  see  a  number  of  persons  carefully  gathering  up 
the  ordure  in  the  roads  for  the  purpose  of  selling  it.  Mul- 
titudes of  the  inhabitants  have  no  regular  means  of  sub- 
sistence, but  lounge  about  in  the  public  places,  ready  to 
engage  in  any  temporary  or  menial  service  that  may  offer 
itself  to  them.  In  some  parts  of  the  island  there  are 


16  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FAKRA.GUT. 

many  whose  only  bread  is  barley  cakes,  and  the  number 
is  not  smaD  of  those  who  cannot  obtain  even  these,  but 
are  compelled  to  subsist  almost  exclusively  on  fish,  fruits, 
and  vegetables. 

"In  one  of  my  rambles  into  the  country  I  lost  my 
way,  and  came  to  a  place  where  an  old  man  was  repair- 
ing a  stone  wall.  I  begged  him  to  direct  me.  He  re- 
plied that  he  was  going  to  dinner,  and  could  accompany 
me  on  my  way  toward  Mahon.  Arrived  opposite  a  little 
stone  hut,  he  said,  '  There  is  my  home :  T  am  going  to 
dine ;  will  you  dine  with  me  ? '  I  declined.  The  old 
gentleman  insisted,  and  I  at  length  yielded.  The  table 
was  an  old  bench  resembling  the  movable  seats  in  some 
of  the  schoolhouses  in  New  England ;  and  the  chairs  were 
other  benches  of  the  same  kind,  only  a  little  lower.  The 
dinner  consisted  of  a  small  loaf  of  brown  bread,  a  bowl 
of  vegetable  soup,  a  bit  of  old  sausage,  and  a  little  cheese, 
with  the  common  red  wine  of  the  country.  An  old  rusty 
knife  and  fork,  neither  of  which  had  a  handle,  two  or 
three  broken  plates,  a  tumbler,  and  a  gourd-shell,  consti- 
tuted the  whole  furniture  of  the  table.  As  the  reader 
may  guess,  I  ate  but  little,  but  I  thought  the  more ;  and 
I  could  not  but  be  deeply  affected,  as  Fancy  pictured  to 
my  view  the  multitudes  in  that  rocky  and  sterile  island 
who  were  accustomed  to  sit  down  to  a  worse  dinner  than 
even  that  before  me  ;  whilst  in  my  own  loved  and  happy 
laud  the  family  could  scarcely  be  found  who  were  obliged 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAOUT.  17 

to  «abmit  to  such  fare.  The  old  gentleman's  family  con- 
sisted only  of  himself  and  his  wife.  I  was  touched  with 
their  unaffected  kindness  and  the  patriarchal  simplicity  of 
their  manners.  They  did  not  seem  to  dream  that  the  din 
ner  to  which  they  had  invited  me  was  not  a  dinner  for  a 
king,  and  they  expressed  a  thousand  regrets  that  I  had 
not  a  better  appetite.  It  is  but  justice  to  add  that  my 
kind-hearted  host  positively  refused  the  slightest  remuner 
ation  for  his  hospitality. 

"  Minorica  produces  in  abundance  grapes,  oranges,  figs, 
pomegranates,  olives,  apricots,  melons,  cauliflowers,  and 
various  other  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  the  money  re- 
ceived in  exchange  for  them  is  nearly  all  that  gets  into 
the  island." 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  wood  being  sold  by  weight  f  It 
is  done  there,  and  at  a  very  high  price.  Charcoal  is  more 
generally  burnt,  and  the  fire  is  made  in  a  copa,  the  Span- 
ish name  of  a  pan  for  holding  coals  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  over  which  the  children  shiver  on  the  cooler  days 
of  the  year,  when  the  streets  will  be  lined  with  these 
copas,  put  out  in  the  air  to  ignite  the  charred  wood  before 
removing  them  to  the  frosty  rooms. 

The  early  inhabitants,  with  those  of  the  other  Bale- 
aric Islands,  were  remarkable  for  their  skill  in  using,  like 
David  the  son  of  Jesse,  the  sling ;  and  among  the  coun- 
trymen great  expertness,  it  is  said,  is  still  common.  Tc 
make  their  sons  good  marksmen  it  was  a  custom  of  par- 


Ib  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.' 

ents  to  hang  the  breakfast  upou  boughs  of  lofty  trees, 
to  remain  there  till  brought  down  by  the  boys  with 
the  sling.  The  s:rong  arms  of  manhood,  thus  trained, 
would  hurl  with  tremendous  power  the  "  smooth  stones." 
When  the  warriors  went  into  battle,  a  sling  was  sus- 
pended from  the  neck,  another  from  the  waist,  and  a 
third  carried  in  the  hand  for  immediate  use. 

Both  men  and  women  are  excellent  swimmers.  One 
of  the  latter,  when  a  man-of-war  had  lain  becalmed  off 
the  coast,  became  impatient  for  the  penny  a  basket  of 
fruit  would  procure,  and,  plunging  in  with  the  luxury* 
swam  safely  to  the  ship. 

You  will  see  female  porters  in  the  streets  of  the  towns, 
with  a  heavy  burden  on  their  heads  and  a  distaff  in  their 
hands,  and  shoes  with  wooden  soles  on  their  feet,  making 
a  strange  clatter,  and  sometimes  startling  you  with  the 
impression  that  a  donkey  is  behind  you.  A  cow  and  jack- 
ass, and  a  horse  and  mule,  are  harnessed  together.  Wheel 
carriages  have  never  been  used  in  Minorica,  the  backs 
of  animals  being  the  substitutes ;  and  when  you  mount  to 
ride  into  the  country  the  boys  will  chase  you  for  miles  to 
get  a  copper  for  holding  the  horse,  mule,  or  donkey  when 
you  stop. 

There  are  many  other  curious  customs  and  scenes  in 
Minorica.  In  a  cathedral  at  Mahon  is  a  magnificent  or- 
gan, in  strength  and  sweetness  of  tone  surpassed  by  few 
instruments  in  the  world.  Of  course  the  people  of  these 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAERAGUT.  19 

isles  are  Catholics,  and  have  all  the  display,  monkish  beg- 
gary, and  superstition  of  papal  countries  where  but  little 
progress  has  been  made  in  education. 

Such  was  the  isolated  land  which  became  too  limited 
for  the  mind  and  heart  of  George  Farragut,  whose  aspi- 
rations for  greater  freedom  led  him  to  our  shores. 

It  was  in  the  memorable  year  1776  that  he  came  to 
this  country,  and  entered  the  American  army.  That  he 
was  a  good  soldier  the  inherited  qualities  of  his  son,  and 
the  rank  of  major  to  which  he  attained,  assure  us. 

When  victory  over  our  British  foe — whose  aristocratic 
pride  has  not  lost  its  hostility  to  freedom  here — gave  to 
the  colonies  victory  and  nationality,  George  Farragut  re- 
tired from  military  service,  and  decided  to  establish 

"  A  local  habitation  and  a  name," 

under  the  banner  he  had  defended  in  battle.  He  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Shine,  of  North  Carolina.  She  had  also 
a  distinguished  origin,  belonging  to  the  Scotch  family  of 
Mclven.  Like  the  parents  of  nearly  all  the  great  com- 
manders in  the  civil  war,  he  became  a  Western  pioneer. 
He  selected  lands  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  whose  par- 
ticular locality  is  known  as  Campbell's  Station.  Here  he 
Hved  a  worthy  representative  of  the  "  hunters  of  Ken- 
tucky," who  have  in  Colonel  Daniel  Boone  a  leader  of 
world- wide  fame. 

You  have  read  the  stories  of  frontier  life.  Major 


20  LIFE   OF    ADMIKAL   FARKAGUT. 

ragut  had  to  keep  the  loaded  gun  at  hand  day  and  night, 
making  his  clearing  a  fortress  and  farm.  The  stealthy 
savage  was  lurking  around,  and  he  could  not  tell  when 
the  hostile  hand  might  send  the  arrow  or  bullet  to  hia 
Tery  door. 

Here,  the  day  succeeding  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  July  5th,  1801,  a  son 
was  born,  who  was  named  David  Glascoe  Farragut. 

Major  Farragut  left  the  quiet  of  the  land  for  the  sea ; 
and  it  is  not  strange  that  David  caught  the  romance  of 
its  adventure,  and  with  boyish  impatience  longed  to  be 
on  the  ocean  wave.  He  dreamed  of  ships  and  battles,  and 
was  impatient  for  the  hour  when  he  might  wear  the  jacket 
of  the  sailor  boy.  All  his  earliest  recollections  were  of 
the  wild  border  t-xperience,  whioh  gave  to  his  naturally 
daring  spirit  that  fearlessness  characteristic  of  him  in  the 
heroic  deeds  of  riper  years.  It  was  not  blind  rashness, 
which  in  young  and  old  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  intel- 
ligent courage ;  but  an  ingrained  indifference  to  peril, 
when  a  worthy  object  demanded  a  given  course  of  action. 
Not,  only  so,  but  he  was  obedient  and  uncorrupted  by 
vicious  habits — winning  the  confidence  of  friends,  and 
laying  the  foundation  of  greatness  unsullied  with  selfish 
and  sensual  indulgence. 


CHAPTER  H. 

0»vid  is  appointed  Midshipman—  Life  on  board  a  Man-of-war—  The  De«ka~ 
Mess-room  —  Divisions  of  Time  —  The  Officers  —  Midshipmen  —  Their  Pro- 
motion. 


pioneer's  son  loved  the  wild  slopes  of  the 
Cumberland  Mountains  and  the  hunter's  trail. 
He  found  a  strange  delight  in  the  romantic  and 
varied  scenes  familiar  to  the  settlers  on  the  new 
lands  of  our  vast  domain  ;  but  his  spirit's  longing 
for  the  scarcely  more  perilous  and  open  plains  of  the 
mariner's  toil  and  honors,  must  be  gratified.  The  fond 
father  heeitated^-delayed  ;  but  at  last  yielded,  and  a  mid- 
shipman's warrant  was  obtained  and  placed  in  his  boyish 
hand. 

You  can  imagine  his  delight,  for  you  have  known  the 
rapture  of  success  in  some  favorite  and  difficult  plan  of 
early  ambition.  Nor  was  his  joy  diminished  by  the  fact 
that  he  was  to  sail  with  his  father's  familiar  friend,  Cap- 
tain Porter,  of  the  Essex. 

Before  I  tell  you  of  him  and  his  good  ship,  you  may 


22  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAERAGUT. 

want  to  know  more  about  the  duties  and  trials  of  a  nn* 
shipman,  in  the  then  young  navy  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  officers  of  a  man-of-war.  Let  us  look  into  a  man-of 
war,  so  long  the  home  of  David,  and  see  the  arrange- 
ments, and  know  the  officers  that  rule  over  the  floating 
military  kingdom. 

A  frigate  has  three  decks.  The  first  is  called  the 
spar  deck,  which  is  again  divided  into  three  distinct  de- 
partments :  the  quarter-deck,  the  forecastle,  and  the 
booms.  The  quarter-deck  is  next  to  the  cabin  in  impor- 
tance. To  appear  there  the  officer  on  duty  must  be 
dressed  in  full  uniform,  and  touch  his  hat  as  a  sign  of  re- 
spect when  he  ascends  to  it  from  below,  or  comes  over 
the  ship's  sides.  Writes  the  schoolmaster  of  the  "  mid- 
dies "  on  board  of  the  Constitution  :  "  I  have  been  repri- 
manded for  walking  there  in  a  hot  summer's  day  without 
a  cravat  on,  and  the  etiquette  of  touching  the  hat  is  in 
some  instances  so  rigorously  exacted  that  midshipmen  are 
suspended  or  quarantined  for  neglecting  to  comply  with 
it.  No  officer  is  allowed  to  be  seated  on  the  quarter-deck, 
and  loud  laughter  and  boisterous  conversation  are  strictly 
prohibited.  I  knew  an  officer  high  in  rank  to  be  reported 
to  the  commodore  by  a  master  commandant  for  breaking 
out  into  what  he  called  a  '  horse  laugh '  on  the  quarter- 
deck. In  port  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter-deck  is 
appropriated  to  the  captain  and  wardroom  officers,  and 
the  larboard  to  the  inferior  officers.  As  you  stand  facing 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  23 

the  ship's  head  the  starboard  is  on  your  right  and  lar- 
board on  your  left.  The  larboard  is  also  called  port. 

"  I  have  seen  a  sailor  taken  to  the  gangway  and  receive 
'  a  dozen '  for  walking  aft  on  the  starboard  side  of  the 
deck.  At  sea  the  higher  officers  are  entitled  to  the 
weather  side,  that  is,  the  side  upon  which  the  wind  blows, 
whichever  it  may  be." 

You  will  notice  three  stairway  openings,  called  hatch- 
es, on  the  quarter-deck,  of  which  the  after  one,  or  that 
nearest  the  vessel's  stern,  belongs  entirely  to  the  superior 
officers.  The  capstan,  or  wooden  cylinder  near  the  cen- 
tre, is  turned  to  lift  the  anchor  and  other  heavy  weights. 
Before  the  mizzenmast  is  the  wheel,  in  charge  of  foui 
men,  by  which  the  helm  is  controlled  and  the  ship  kept 
in  her  course  over  the  waves.  In  front  of  it  are  the  bin- 
acles,  or  boxes,  containing  each  a  mariner's  compass. 

Do  you  ask,  "  Why  are  there  two  ?"  To  be  more 
secure  ;  for  if  one  should  fail  by  any  defect  or  accident, 
another  is  left  to  guide  the  commander.  The  favorite 
haunt  of  the  men  is  the  forecastle,  or  the  part  of  the 
spar-deck  forward  of  the  foremast,  or  nearest  the  prow. 
Here  they  assemble  at  evening  in  summer  time,  and 
'  spin  their  yarns,"  sing  songs,  and  dance,  forgetful 
of  the  unpleasant  scenes  and  toils  of  their  monotonous 
round  of  duty.  Then,  again,  recollections  of  home 
and  friends  afar,  will  soften  down  the  tone  of  social  en- 
joyment, and  bring  the  tear  to  the  eye  which  had  often 


24  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

looked   fearlessly  upon  the  wildest  storm-cloud  and  die 
wrathful  billow. 

A  blacksmith's  shop  is  carried  on  the  frigate,  which  ia 
moved  to  the  forecastle  when  there  is  work  for  its  fir* 
and  hammer.  Between  this  and  the  quarter-deck  are 
stored  extra  spars,  and  all  the  boats  excepting  five — one 
at  the  stern,  and  one  at  each  of  the  quarters.  This  lum- 
ber-room is  called  the  "  booms." 

Passing  by  some  other  fixtures  which  you  will  under- 
stand better  by  seeing  them,  and  asking  a  kind  sailor  to  tell 
you  their  uses  and  names,  we  will  go  to  the  main,  or  gun- 
deck,  the  "  great  luxury  of  a  frigate."  It  is  covered,  and 
neither  sun,  rain,  nor  dew  can  prevent  or  annoy  the  fine 
promenade  it  affords.  On  a  warm  day  or  moonlight 
evening,  nothing  can  be  more  delightful  to  the  mariner 
than  to  walk  the  floor  of  the  floating  hall,  and  feel  the 
cooling  breeze,  and  look  out  on  the  changeful  sea.  But 
we  have  not  seen  the  most  important  place  in  the  ship—- 
the seat  of  power,  the  throne  of  the  sea-king — the  cap- 
tain's cabin.  It  occupies  almost  the  whole  room  in  the 
main  deck,  abaft  or  back  of  the  mizzenmast,  and  covers 
the  space  of  four  guns,  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
deck  by  "bulkheads,"  as  partitions  on  shipboard  are 
called.  These  wooden  walls  are  removed  when  the  ves- 
sel is  cleared,  or  got  ready  for  action,  for  the  deck  then 
becomes  a  battle-field. 

The  half-deck  extends  from  the  cabin  to  the   main. 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  25 

mast,  and  on  the  larboard  side,  is  common  to  all  the  of- 
ficers, and  in  warm  weather  is  the  general  reading-room. 
The  "•  waist  "  is  the  part  before  the  mainmast,  appropria- 
ted to  the  carpenters,  tailors,  shoemakers,  &c.  Next 
comes  the  galley,  right  back  of  the  foremast,  which  is  the 
ship's  kitchen.  In  one  part  is  the  cooking,  which  is  di- 
vided into  three  departments,  one  of  which  is  for  the 
captain,  and  the  others  for  the  subordinate  officers.  The 
back  part  of  the  galley  is  called  the  "  coppers,"  and  be- 
longs to  the  crew.  Upon  the  sides  of  the  galley  are 
tables  for  the  cooks,  each  having  his  place,  and  defended 
against  any  invasion  by  his  neighbor,  often  with  all  the 
earnestness,  rising  sometimes  to  violence,  of  the  most  in- 
dignant defender  of  insulted  honor. 

By  quite  a  natural  transition  from  the  kitchen,  we  go 
forward  of  the  foremast,  and  find  the  farm-yard  of  the 
frigate — the  sheep,  goats,  pigs  and  poultry — a  sight 
which  might  remind  us  of  Barnum's  "  Happy  Family." 
You  will  also  see  pumps  for  raising  the  bilge  water,  salt 
water  to  wash  the  ship,  and  to  procure  the  fresh  water 
from  below. 

And  now  we  will  go  down  another  ladder.  Here 
we  are  on  the  berth  deck.  Our  feet  are  below  water- 
mark, and  he  who  is  not  fond  of  hard  knocks  must  look 
out  for  his  head.  The  after  part  of  the  berth  deck  is  oc- 
cupied as  a  mess-room  by  the- lieu  tenants  and  other  com- 
missioned officers.  It  is  called  the  wardroom,  extends 
2 


26  LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT. 

to  a  considerable  distance  forward  of  the  mizzenmast,  and 
is  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  deck  by  a  bulkhead.  It 
has  five  state-rooms  on  each  side,  which,  though  not  very 
large,  are  sufficiently  commodious,  and  are  furnished 
with  neat  little  bureaus  at  the  public  expense.  Some  of 
the  officers  have  them  carpeted  and  fitted  up  in  elegant 
style.  The  first  lieutenant  is  entitled  to  the  first  state- 
room on  the  starboard  side,  and  the  others  follow  him  in 
the  order  of  their  rank.  The  room  on  the  larboard  side, 
corresponding  with  the  first  lieutenant's,  belongs  to  the 
sailing  master,  and  the  purser,  surgeon,  and  chaplain  are 
entitled  to  rooms  receding  from  his  in  the  order  in  which 
their  names  are  here  mentioned. 

The  wardroom  receives  its  light  principally  from  a 
large  skylight  overhead.  Immediately  forward  of  the 
wardroom  is  the  steerage,  the  midshipmen's  domicile. 
This  differs  materially  in  different  ships.  In  some,  as  in 
the  Constellation,  it  is  partitioned  off  into  different  mess- 
rooms  ;  while  in  others,  as  in  the  Brandywine,  it  is  all 
common,  and  is  separated  from  the  forward  part  of  the 
deck  only  by  a  canvas  curtain.  In  the  Constellation,  as 
already  mentioned,  there  are  four  mess-rooms,  two  on 
each  side  of  the  ship.  They  are  each  about  nine  feet  by 
seven.  The  "  middies  "  are  not  allowed  to  have  trunks 
on  board,  and  the  mess-rooms  are  therefore  furnished  with 
lockers  to  supply  their  place.  Of  these  there  are  two 
kinds,  chest  lockers  and  "  up  and  down  "  lockers.  The 


LITE    OF    ADMIRAL    FABEAGU'i.  27 

dies!  lockers  are  nothing  more  than  boxes  surrounding 
three  sides  of  the  rooms  ;  the  upright  ones  are  more  like 
bureaus,  ami  are  much  more  commodious. 

Time  on  shipboard  is  divided  into  watches,  and  reck- 
oned by  bells.  Hence  you  never  hear  the  question, 
"  What  o'clock?  "  but  "  How  many  bells  is  it?  "  The 
twenty-four  hours  are  divided  into  six  equal  portions, 
called  watches.  At  the  end  of  the  first  half-hour  of  one 
of  these  portions,  the  bell  is  struck  one  ;  at  the  end  of  the 
second,  two ;  and  so  on  till  the  series  reaches  eight,  when 
it  commences  again.  Thus  it  will  be  perceived  that  two 
bells  means  either  one,  five,  or  nine  o'clock  ;  and  five  bells 
either  half-past  two,  six,  or  ten.  In  the  ship's  journals 
the  dates  are  put  down  according  to  the  common  mod'd  of 
reckoning  time.  The  division  of  time  into  watches  dif- 
fers somewhat  at  sea  and  in  port.  In  the  former  case,  the 
watches  are  all  four  hours  long,  with  the  exception  of  two 
iu  the  evening,  called  dog-watches,  from  four  to  six,  and 
from  six  to  eight.  In  port  there  is  but  one  watch  during 
the  day,  viz.,  from  eight  o'clock  A.  M.  to  eight  p.  M.  The 
night  watches  are  the  same  as  at  sea. 

Order  is  the  first  great  rule  on  board  a  man-of-war, 
and  that  to  which  all  others  must  bend.  It  is,  in  fact,  the 
Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  the 
centre  and  the  circumference  of  her  whole  internal  organ- 
ization. "  To  every  thing  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time 
to  every  purpose  under  heaven."  From  day  to  day,  from 


28  LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGT "' . 

week  to  week,  from  month  to  month,  and  from  year  tw 
jear,  the  same  stroke  of  the  bell  is  followed  by  the  same 
whistle,  the  same  call,  and  the  recurrence  of  the  same 
duties.  Every  thing  has  its  place,  too,  and  must  be  kept 
in  it.  So  true  is  this,  that  a  person  acquainted  with  the 
details  of  a  ship  can  lay  his  hand  on  a  given  object  in  any 
part  of  her,  as  weJl  in  the  dark  as  if  a  thousand  suns  were 
shining  on  it. 

"  The  three  grand  divisions  of  the  moral  elements  in 
the  maval  service  are  into  officers,  men,  and  marines.  Of 
the  former  there  are  generally  about  forty,  of  the  second 
somewhat  more  than  three  hundred,  and  of  the  latter 
thirty-five,  more  or  less. 

u  An  anecdote,  related  by  a  gentleman  in  Mahon,  is  so 
much  to  the  purpose  here,  that  I  cannot  forbear  to  repeat 
it.  It  so  happened  that  one  of  the  men  concerned  in  the 
murder  of  a  French  lieutenant  was  a  southern  negro, 
and  a  perfect  Ninevite  in  knowledge.  In  the  course  of 
the  trial  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  take  an  oath,  and 
an  oath  and  the  Copernican  system  were  all  one  to  him. 
So  the  court  set  about  enlightening  him.  •  Don't  you  ac- 
knowledge a  Supreme  Being  ? '  '  Supreme  Being  ! 
massa,'  replied  Cuff,  *  I  no  stand  what  he  mean.' 
4  God,  your  Creator,  the  Being  who  made  us  ah1 ;  don't 
you  acknowledge  any  superior  Being?'  '  O,  yes,  massa, 
my  Captain.'" 

You  smile  at  the  poor  African  whose  thoughts  of  God 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAURAUIT.  29 

rosv  no  higher  than  the  monarch  of  a  frigate — kept  in 
pagan  darkness ;  but  you  will  not  forget  a  common 
Father  made  you  to  differ  in  His  Providence,  and  has  de- 
clared t^at  "  Ethiopia  shall  stretch  forth  her  hands  unto 
God." 


CHAPTER  ILL. 

More  about  the  Men  of  a  Man-of-war — First  Lieutenant—  The  Purser — The 
Surgeon — The  Midshipmen — The  Quartermaster — Boatswain — Gunnere— 
Mechanics — The  Government  of  the  Frigate. 

EXT  to  the  Captain,  is  the  First  Lieutenant  m 
rank,  whose  duties  are  quite  equal  in  responsi- 
bility to  those  of  his  superior.  He  must  inspect 
every  part  of  the  ship,  exercise  the  men  at  the 
guns,  see  that  they  are  neatly  and  properly  clad, 
und  that  the  little  world  afloat  is  in  perfect  order.  When- 
ever the  sails  are  to  be  reefed  in  the  gale,  or  the  anchor 
moved,  he  holds  the  trumpet  and  issues  the  command. 
No  officer  requires  more  versatile  talent  and  elevated 
character  to  fill  well  his  position. 

The  Purser  keeps  the  keys  of  the  treasury,  and  all 
the  provisions  on  board  are  in  his  charge.  Surely  he 
ought  to  be  an  honest  man,  or  he  will  speculate  out  of 
the  extensive  business  in  his  hands. 

The  Surgeon  and  two  assistants  arc  the  medical  g'.&ff 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABBAGUT.  31 

of  a  frigate.  The  latter  have  a  position  of  their  own, 
ranking  next  above  the  midshipmen.  The  Surgeon  muat 
report  every  morning  the  number,  diseases,  and  names 
of  the  sick. 

We  come  now  to  the  rank  of  DAVID  GLASCOB 
FARBAGUT,  when  his  name  was  enrolled  in  the  list 
of  officers  connected  with  the  Essex — the  midshipman. 
"  Young  gentlemen,"  is  a  naval  term  applied  to  the  mid- 
shipmen, or,  as  contracted,  "  the  middies."  The  number 
of  these  varies  from  twelve  to  upwards  of  twenty.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  give  any  very  definite  idea  of  what 
their  duties  are  :  for,  although  an  interesting  class  of  of- 
ficers on  account  of  what  they  are  to  Je,  yet  in  their 
present  capacity  they  do  little  more  than  echo  the  orders 
of  their  superiors.  There  is  a  change  of  wind  ;  the  offi- 
cer of  the  deck  issues  the  command  to  "  lay  aft  to  the 
braces."  "  Lay  aft  to  the  braces  ! "  cries  every  midship- 
man on  deck.  The  wind  freshens,  so  as  to  make  it  ne- 
cessary to  clew  up  the  mainsail ;  "  Man  the  main  clue- 
garnet  ! "  is  thundered  through  the  trumpet.  "Man  the 
main  clue-garnet ! "  is  instantly  repeated  by  some  half 
dozen  echoes.  However,  they  have  some  specific  duties. 
They  carry  messages  from  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  the 
eaptain,  and  in  port  one  of  them  takes  charge  of  every 
boat  that  leaves  the  ship.  At  sea,  seven  bells  is  reported 
to  them  every  morning  at  half-past  eleven  o'clock,  when 
they  are  obliged  to  go  on  deck  with  their  quadrants  and 


32  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

take  the  sun.  They  have  to  work  out  the  last  day's  run, 
and  report  the  course,  distance  made  good,  and  ship's 
place  at  noon  each  day  to  the  captain.  They  muster  the 
crew  when  the  watch  is  called  at  night.  They  are  also 
required  to  keep  a  journal  of  the  cruise,  which  is,  how- 
ever, only  a  copy  of  the  ship's  log.  This  is  examined 
every  few  weeks  by  the  commanding  officer,  and  if  it 
happens  not  to  be  written  up  when  called  for,  the  delin 
quent  is  generally  punished  by  a  curtailment  of  some  of 
his  indulgences. 

The  number  of  midshipmen  and  passed  midshipmen 
in  the  navy  of  the  United  States  is  limited  to  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty-four.  The  appointments  to  the  naval 
schools  preparatory  to  this  position,  are  distributed 
among  the  States  and  Territories.  Each  candidate  must 
be  over  fourteen,  and  under  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  a 
resident  of  the  Congressional  District  from  which  he  is 
sent.  Indeed,  the  regulations  in  regard  to  their  exami- 
nation and  admission  to  the  course  of  study,  are  similar 
to  those  which  govern  the  selection  of  cadets  and  their 
entrance  into  the  military  academy.  The  travelling  ex- 
penses of  the  accepted  young  man  are  paid  by  the  Gov- 
ernment from  his  residence  to  the  school,  and  five  hun- 
dred dollars  allowed  annually  for  current  expenses.  The 
eourse  of  instruction  covers  four  years,  and  includes 
mathematics,  astronomy,  navigation,  surveying,  ethics, 
French,  Spanish,  drawing,  artillery  and  infantry  tactics, 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FABRAGUT.  33 

seamanship,  naval  gunnery,  the  steam  engine,  and  othei 
branches  of  science. 

Besides,  during  the  term  of  years,  two  cruises  of 
about  three  months  each  are  made  in  a  sbip-of-war  for 
instruction,  when  the  boys  have  a  kind  of  pleasure  excur- 
sion, visiting  various  ports  and  getting  a  taste  of  salt- 
water life.  When  they  graduate,  they  receive  "  war- 
rants as  midshipmen,"  and  their  rank  is  according  to  their 
order  of  merit.  If,  after  two  years  of  service  from  this 
time,  they  pass  examination  before  a  board  of  three  cap- 
tains and  two  commanders,  for  promotion,  showing  pro- 
ficiency in  practical  navigation,  the  management  of  the 
steam-engine  and  gunnery,  they  have  warrants  as  passed 
midshipmen  awarded  them,  with  a  larger  salary. 

And  now  the  way  is  fairly  open  to  the  "  middies  " 
for  the  higher  position  of  master,  lieutenant,  commander, 
captain,  commodore,  and  admiral. 

When  young  Farragut  entered  the  navy  there  was  a 
shorter  way  ;  for  naval  schools  in  this  country  were  un- 
known. The  institution  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  was  re- 
moved, when  the  rebellion  darkened  around  it,  to  New- 
port, Rhode  Island,  but  will  probably  be  soon  transferred 
again  to  the  former  and  original  place. 

"  The  office  of  quartermaster  is  one  of  some  dignity 
and  considerable  importance.  Its  duties  are  not  labori- 
ous, but  they  require  vigilance,  carefulness,  judgment, 
and  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  practical  seamanship, 


J>*  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGTJT. 

In  port  only  one  of  them  keeps  watch  on  deck  at  a  time. 
You  may  know  him  by  his  spy-glass,  and  his  busy,  bus- 
tling air.  He  is  all  eye  and  all  locomotion.  He  cocks 
his  telescope  at  every  new  object  that  appears,  and  give* 
*t  a  thorough  scrutiny.  It  is  his  duty  to  keep  a  look-out 
for  signals  from  other  ships,  and  to  report  them  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck ;  and  also  to  report  to  him  all  boats 
that  come  alongside,  and  all  other  movements  and  occur- 
rences in  the  harbor  which  he  may  deem  of  sufficient  im- 
portance. At  sea,  two  of  the  quartermasters  are  requir- 
ed to  be  on  deck  during  the  day,  and  half  of  them  at 
night.  One  is  stationed  at  the  wheel  to  steer  the  ship, 
and  the  others  keep  a  look-out  as  in  port.  When  the  log 
is  thrown,  they  hold  the  minute  glass.  They  have  to 
strike  the  bell  every  half  hour,  and  take  turns  in  mixing 
and  serving  the  grog.  In  entering  and  leaving  a  harbor, 
when  it  is  necessary  to  sound,  one  of  them  is  stationed  in 
each  of  the  main-chains  to  heave  the  lead.  All  the  colors 
and  signals  are  under  their  charge. 

11  The  boatswain,  gunner,  carpenter,  and  sailmaker, 
form  a  distinct  class  of  officers,  called  forward  officers. 
The  boatswain  is  charged  with  the  rigging  of  the  ship, 
and  in  port  attends  to  squaring  the  yards.  You  may 
know  him  by  his  silver  whistle,  rattan  cane,  and  above 
all,  by  the  ruddy  hues  of  his  countenance,  and  the  odious 
vapors  that  issue  from  his  mouth.  The  gunner  has 
charge  of  the  military  stores,  and,  when  all  hands  are 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  35 

called  off,  of  the  main  rigging.  The  carpenter  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  stores  belonging  to  his  department,  and  super- 
intends the  corking  of  the  ship  and  other  work  performed 
by  his  subalterns.  The  sailmaker  is  charged  with  the 
sails,  hammocks,  •  and  generally  all  the  canvas  in  the 
ship.  At  sea  he  is  obliged  to  go  aloft  on  each  of  the 
three  masts,  examine  the  condition  of  the  sails,  and 
report  it  to  the  first  lieutenant  every  morning  before 
breakfast. 

"  Each  of  the  boatswain's  mates  has  a  silver  whistle 
suspended  from  his  neck,  with  which  he  echoes  the  orders 
of  his  superiors.  He  has  a  different  pipe  for  almost  every 
important  order  that  can  be  given.  For  instance,  there 
is  one  for  calling  all  hands,  another  for  hoisting  away,  a 
third  for  hauling  taught  and  belaying,  and  so  on  of  others. 
Amid  the  darkness  and  fury  of  the  tempest,  when  the 
orders  of  the  trumpet  are  drowned  by  the  loud  uproar  of 
the  elements,  the  shrill  pipe  of  the  boatswain's  whistle 
reaches  the  ear  of  the  sailor  on  the  top  of  the  highest 
mast,  and  no  language  could  convey  to  him  a  more  defi- 
nite meaning  than  its  well-known  tones.  The  duty  of  the 
quarter-gunners  is  to  keep  the  guns  and  all  other  things 
belonging  to  the  gunner's  department  in  proper  order. 
They  have  to  inspect  the  guns  frequently  to  see  that  every 
thing  about  them  is  well  secured,  and  at  night  report 
their  condition  to  the  officer  of  the  deck  every  two  hours. 
When  all  hands  are  called  to  reef  or  furl  sails,  the 


36  LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL    FAKRAGDT. 

quarter-gunners  and  quartermasters  are  charged  with  the 
mainyard.  The  armorer  is  the  ship's  blacksmith.  The 
cooper  opens  the  provision  barrels  when  their  contents 
are  wanted,  and  performs  other  matters  in  his  line  of 
business,  when  necessary.  The  duties  of  a  cook  are 
somewhat  arduous,  and  it  requires  a  good  deal  of  patience 
and  care  to  perform  them  acceptably  to  the  crew.  The 
meals  must  always  be  reported  "  ready "  at  seven  bells, 
morning,  noon,  and  night.  At  noon,  wheii  dinner  is  re- 
ported ready,  the  cook  takes  a  specimen  to  the  officer  of 
the  deck,  who  inspects  it  to  see  that  it  is  properly  cooked. 
The  cockswain  is  designed  for  the  captain's  boat,  but 
our  commanders  sometimes  select  a  quartermaster  or 
other  trustworthy  person  to  perform  the  duties  of  cock- 
swain. There  are  two  other  subordinates  who  have  not 
even  the  rank  of  petty  officers.  They  are  the  sliip's 
corporals.  They  take  turns  in  keeping  watch  at  night 
on  the  gun-deck,  and  their  duty  is  to  see  that  no  light 
is  burning  in  any  part  of  the  ship  where  it  is  not 
allowed.  They  make  an  hourly  report  to  the  officer  of 
the  deck. 

"  In  regard  to  the  rest  of  the  crew,  the  seamen  generally 
compose  about  one-half.  Those  of  this  rank  must  have 
seen  a  good  deal  of  sea  service,  and  are  supposed  to  be 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  practical  navigation.  If  they 
are  found  to  be  greatly  deficient  in  this  respect,  they  are 
degraded.  They  receive  twelve  dollars  per  mouth,  and 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT.  37 

are  appointed  to  the  most  honorable  and  responsible  sta- 
xions  in  the  ship.  They  have  a  good  deal  of  the  pride 
of  profession,  entertaining  the  utmost  contempt  for  all 
who  do  not  know  what  salt  water  and  heavy  gales  are. 
The  ordinary  seamen  receive  ten  dollars  per  month. 
They  must  have  had  some  experience  in  naval  matters, 
but  are  neither  expected  nor  required  to  be  finished  sailors. 
Promotions  from  the  rank  of  ordinary  seamen  to  that  of 
seamen  are  not  frequent. 

"  There  was  no  part  of  the  system  on  board  a  man- 
of-war  that  interested  me  more  than  the  distribution  of 
power,  and  the  complete  subordination  of  rank.  Persons 
have  no  idea  of  the  perfection  of  military  government. 
Every  officer  in  the  navy  can  say  to  every  one  below 
him,  "  Go,"  and  he  goeth,  and  "  Do  this,"  and  he  doeth. 
There  is  no  quibbling  or  higgling  about  the  matter  at  all, 
his  will  and  pleasure  are  in  the  place  of  all  argument. 
Not  only  is  the  captain  of  a  public  vessel  supreme,  but 
every  other  officer  is  in  some  sense  a  despot ;  for  where 
he  gives  an  order  to  an  inferior  officer  or  man,  it  must 
be  obeyed,  though  it  contradict  a  previous  order  received 
from  a  superior.  The  officer  who  gives  the  last  order  is 
in  that  case  responsible  for  the  disobedience  of  the  first. 
I  recollect  a  fact  which  will  serve  to  illustrate  this  prin- 
ciple. The  first  lieutenant  of  one  of  our  ships  had  given 
orders  to  a  tailor  not  to  do  any  work  for  the  midshipmen 
without  his  permission,  at  the  same  time  sending  word  to 


38  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGIT1 . 

the  midshipman  to  that  effect.  One  of  them,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  absent  from  the  ship  at  the  time,  a  few  days 
after  wished  to  have  some  garment  repaired,  and  ordered 
the  tailor  to  do  it.  He  refused.  The  midshipman  in- 
sisted, and  the  worthy  knight  of  the  goose  stoutly  per- 
sisted in  his  refusal.  The  spirited  young  officer  reported 
him  to  the  first  lieutenant,  who  had  him  flogged  for  dis- 
obedience." 

There  is  another  thing  on  shipboard  which  will  in- 
terest you — the  signals.  If  one  vessel  wishes  to  hold 
conversation  with  another  at  a  distance,  a  flag  is  raised 
with  certain  figures  upon  it,  which  refer  to  words  in  the 
signal-book.  If  a  commander  desires  to  invite  the  officer 
of  a  ship  in  sight  of  his  own  to  dine  with  him  at  a  given 
hour,  he  has  only  to  put  out  the  flag  with  the  right 
figures,  and  the  invited  captain  turns  to  his  book  and 
finds  the  words,  till  he  spells  out  the  friendly  message, 
and  then  answers  in  the  same  way.  Such,  in  a  general 
view,  is  the  round  of  activity  on  board  of  a  frigate, 
and  you  can  see  just  where  young  Farragut  had  his  post 
of  duty  when  a  mere  boy.  But  he  started  right,  showing 
no  disposition  to  chafe  against  the  stern  restraints  of 
naval  command.  Cheerful  subjection  to  authority  was 
the  first  and  most  important  lesson,  the  grand  step  in  the 
life-march  of  a  noble  ambition. 


CHAFfER  IV. 

Midshipman  Farragut  at  Sea — The  American  Navy  at  that  time— The  War  witfe 
England — The  Essex — Her  first  Cruise. 


delay  attending  Midshipman  Farragut's  ap- 

§  1  ;~    pointment  brought  his  entrance  upon  life  in  the 
MitJl 

navy  within  a  few  months  of  the  second  war 

with  England.  The  year  1811-  was  a  period  of 
comparative  quiet  in  our  small  naval  force,  and, 
excepting  the  novelty  of  his  new  experience,  and  the  prac- 
tical lessons  he  was  learning,  had  nothing  to  make  it 
memorable. 

The  United  States  navy  was  reduced  to  twenty  vessels 
and  a  few  gunboats.  Two  of  these  were  not  seaworthy  ; 
and  another,  the  Oneida,  was  on  Lake  Ontario  ;  leaving 
only  seventeen  ships  of  war,  in  1812,  to  defend  the  nation- 
al rights  upon  the  ocean.  The  names  of  the  vessels  were : 

Constitution,     .        .    44  gnus.     Congress,      .        .    88  guns. 
President,  44     "        Constellation,     .        88     " 

United  States.  .    44     "        Chesapeake,  .  88     " 


40  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 


New  York,     . 

36  guns. 

Argus,  . 

16  gun*. 

Essex, 

.     32     " 

Siren, 

16     " 

Adams, 

28     " 

Oneida,         .        . 

16     " 

Boston, 

.     28     " 

Vixen, 

14     " 

John  Adams, 

28     " 

Enterprise,    . 

14     «« 

Wasp, 

.    18     " 

Nautilus,   .        . 

14     " 

Hornet, 

18     " 

Viper,  . 

12     " 

The  gunboats  which  "  first  appeared  afloat  in  1805  * 
on  our  waters  carried  one  and  two  guns.  In  April,  1806, 
fifty  of  them  were  ordered  by  a  law  of  Congress. 

This  means  of  warfare  we  employed  in  the  cannonad- 
ing of  Tripoli  in  1804,  obtaining  them  from  Naples  ;  but 
on  account  of  their  imperfection,  we  built  some  of  our  own. 
They  would  look  like  toys  beside  the  iron-clads  of  modern 
invention,  and  very  soon  disappear  before  the  heavy  shot 
of  these  mailed  leviathans  of  the  deep. 

Do  you  ask  "  Why  was  our  navy  so  weak?"  It  was 
strange  indeed  that  the  Government,  after  the  experience 
of  three  conflicts,  reddening  the  sea  with  the  blood  of  our 
heroic  tars,  should  neglect  this  arm  of  the  service,  till  we 
had  the  mere  fragment  of  a  navy  never  large,  with  which 
to  meet  the  uneasy,  threatening  monarchies  of  Europe. 
We  had  fought  victoriously,  between  1776  and  1806, 
England,  France,  and  the  Barbary  States.  Then  the  ex 
haustion  of  strength  and  political  strife  almost  paralyzed 
Government,  just  when  the  greatest  preparations  for  ag- 
gressions and  united  vigilance,  were  needed.  We  had  of 


LIKE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT.  41 

ficers  equal  in  ability  and  successful  valor  to  any  in  the 
world ;  but  they  were  worthless  without  ships  of  war. 

Just  at  this  crisis,  when  Farragut  consecrated  his 
young  life  to  the  country  on  the  sea,  the  signs  of  another 
conflict  with  England  gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  declining 
strength  of  the  navy.  And  that  you  may  understand 
more  fully  the  exciting  period  in  American  history  which 
stirred  the  loyal  spirit  of  the  sailor  boy,  and  also  the  feel- 
ing and  course  of  England  which  has  been  again  apparent 
in  the  rebellion  now  closed,  I  will  add  a  statement  of  the 
causes  of  the  renewed  appeal  to  arms  so  soon  after  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

Great  Britain  had  lavished*  men  and  money  hi  the  ter- 
rible struggle  with  France,  and  become  weakened  by  the 
losses  sustained.  "  Her  war-ships  stretched  from  Copen- 
hagen to  the  Nile,  and  to  supply  these  with  seamen  she 
resorted  to  impressment,  not  only  on  her  own  shores, 
amid  her  own  subjects,  but  on  American  ships,  among 
American  sailors.  Our  merchant  vessels  were  arrested 
on  the  high  seas,  and  men,  on  the  groundless  charge  of 
being  deserters,  immediately  coerced  into  the  British  ser- 
vice. To  such  an  extent  was  this  carried  that  in  nine 
months  of  the  years  1796  and  '97  Mr.  King,  the  Ameri- 
can Minister  at  London,  had  made  application  for  the  re- 
lease of  two  hundred  and  seventy-one  seamen,  most  of  whom 
were  Americar  citizens. 

"  At  first  the  British  Government  claimed  only  the  right 


4:2  LIFE   OF    ATWmAT.   FABRAGUT. 

to  seize  deserters ;  but  its  necessities  demanding  a  broad- 
er application  to  right  of  search,  her  vessels  of  war  ar- 
rested American  merchantmen  to  seek  for  British  seamen, 
and  later  'still  for  British  subjects ;  finally  every  sailor 
was  obliged  to  prove  himself  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  on  the  spot,  or  he  was  liable  to  be  forced  into  Brit- 
ish service.  American  merchants  were  thus  injured 
while  prosecuting  a  lawful  commerce,  and,  worse  than  all, 
great  distress  was  visited  on  the  friends  and  relatives  of 
those  who  were  illegally  torn  from  their  country  and 
pressed  into  the  hated  service  of  a  hated  nation.  Over 
six  thousand  were  known  to  have  been  thus  seized,  while 
the  actual  number  was  much  greater. 

"  Not  content  with  committing  these  outrages  on  the 
high  seas,  English  vessels  boarded  our  merchantmen  and 
impressed  our  seamen  in  our  own  waters.  That  line 
which  runs  parallel  to  the  seacoast  of  every  nation,  and 
which  is  considered  its  legitimate  boundary,  presented  no 
obstacles  to  British  cruisers. 

"  In  1804  the  frigate  Cambria  boarded  an  American 
merchantman  in  the  harbor  of  New  York,  and  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  port  officers  carried  off  several  of  her 
seamen.  To  complete  the  insult,  the  commander  de- 
<slared,  in  an  official  letter  to  the  British  minister,  that  he 
'  considered  his  ship,  while  lying  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York,  as  having  dominion  around  her  within  the  distance 
of  he-  buoys.'  Not  long  after  a  coasting  vessel,  while 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABBAGTJT.  4:3 

going  from  one  American  port  to  another,  was  hailed  by 
a  British  cruiser,  and,  refusing  to  stop,  was  fired  into  and 
one  of  her  crew  killed.  Thus  an  American  citizen  was 
murdered  within  a  mile  of  shore,  and  while  going  from 
port  to  port  of  his  own  country. 

"  These  aggressions  on  land  and  insults  at  sea  con- 
tinued, at  intervals,  down  to  1806,  when  our  commerce 
received  a  more  deadly  blow  from  the  British  orders  in 
council,  and  Napoleon's  famous  Berlin  and  Milan  decrees. 
To  annoy  and  cripple  her  adversary,  England  declared 
the  whole  coast  of  France,  from  Brest  to  the  Elbe, 
in  a  state  of  blockade.  The  next  year  the  English  Gov- 
ernment issued  other  orders  in  council,  blockading  the 
whole  Continent,  which  were  met  by  Napoleon's  Milan 
decree.  These  famous  orders  in  council,  so  far  as  they 
affected  us,  declared  all  American  vessels  going  to  and 
from  the  harbors  of  France  and  her  allies,  lawful  prizes, 
except  such  as  had  at  first  touched  at  an  English  port,  or 
allowed  themselves  to  be  searched  by  a  British  cruiser, 
the  property  of  France,  while  British  goods,  wherever 
found,  were  subject  to  confiscation.  In  short,  if  we  did 
not  confine  our  commerce  to  England,  the  latter  would 
seize  our  merchantmen  wherever  found,  as  lawful  prizes  ; 
while,  if  we  did  trade  with  her,  or  even  touch  at  her 
ports  at  all,  France  claimed  them  as  her  property." 

Our  men-of-war  were  compelled  to  look  silently  on 
and  see  American  merchantman  seized,  while  both  Franc* 


44  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

and  England  claimed  the  right  to  plunder  us.  Our  com 
merce  for  the  last  few  years  had  advanced  with  un- 
paralleled strides,  so  that  at  this  time  our  canvas  whitened 
almost  every  sea  on  the  globe,  and  wealth  was  pouring 
into  the  nation.  Suddenly,  as  if  the  whole  world,  with- 
out any  forewarning,  had  declared  war  against  us,  the 
ocean  was  covered  with  cruisers  after  American  vessels, 
and  the  commerce  of  tke  country  was  paralyzed  by  a 
single  blow.  These  were  the  prominent  causes  of  the 
war,  sufficient,  one  would  think,  to  justify  the  American 
Government  in  declaring  it.  One  hundredth  part  of  the 
provocation  which  we  then  endured,  would  now  bring  the 
two  Governments  in  immediate  and  fierce  collision.  In 
1794,  Washington,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Jay,  after  speaking 
of  the  retention  of  posts  which  the  British  Government 
had,  by  treaty,  ceded  to  us,  and  of  the  conduct  of  its 
agents  in  stirring  up  the  Indians  to  hostilities,  says : 
"  Can  it  be  expected,  I  ask,  so  long  as  these  things  are 
known  in  the  United  States,  or,  at  least,  firmly  believed, 
and  suffered  with  impunity  by  Great  Britain,  that  there 
ever  will  or  can  be  any  cordiality  between  the  two 
countries?  I  answer,  No.  And  I  will  undertake,  with- 
out the  gift  of  prophecy,  to  predict  that  it  will  be  impos- 
sible to  keep  this  country  in  a  state  01  amity  with  Great 
Britain  long,  if  those  posts  are  not  surrendered."  Still 
\ater,  Jefferson,  writing  home  from  England,  says :  "In 
spite  of  treaties,  England  is  our  enemy.  Her  hatred  is 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  45 

deep-rooted  and  cordial,  and  nothing  with  her  is  wanted 
but  power  to  wipe  us  and  the  land  we  live  in  out  of  ex- 
istence." 

Notwithstanding  all  these  insults  and  aggressions,  the 
Government  earnestly  desired  and  sought  to  avoid  a 
second  conflict  with  England.  The  country  had  seen 
enough  of  war,  and  was  beginning  to  feel  anew  the 
bounding  pulse  of  returning  health  and  prosperity.  This 
hesitation  emboldened  the  enemy,  as  our  forbearance  with 
'.he  rebels  at  the  beginning  of  the  late  revolt  encouraged 
them,  and  the  words  and  acts  of  contempt  became  the 
more  bitter  and  undisguised.  It  is  very  striking  that  the 
.mmediate  occasion  of  hostilities  should  forcibly  remind  us 
of  more  recent  revelations  of  foreign  aid  in  the  conspiracy 
against  the  American  Republic.  "Writes  our  great  naval 
historian,  Mr.  Cooper:  "In  the  winter  of  1812,  a  plot 
on  the  part  of  English  agents  to  sever  the  American 
Union,  was  revealed  to  the  Government ;  and,  at  a  later 
day,  the  determination  of  the  English  ministry  to  adhere 
to  her  orders  in  council,  was  formally  communicated  to 
the  President.  At  the  same  time  the  claim  to  impress 
English  seamen  out  of  American  ships  on  the  high  seas 
was  maintained  in  theory,  while  in  practice  the  outrage 
.was  constantly  extended  to  natives  ;  the  boarding  officers 
acting,  in  effect,  on  the  unjust  and  perfectly  illegal  prin- 
ciple, that  the  seaman  who  failed  to  prove  that  he  was  an 
American,  should  be  seized  as  an  Englishman.  Owing 


4:6  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGTJT. 

to  these  united  causes,  Congress  formally  declared  wax 
against  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  on  the  18th  of  June, 
1812. 

"  At  the  moment  when  this  important  intelligence  was 
made  public,  nearly  all  of  the  little  American  marine 
were  either  in  port  or  were  cruising  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  coast.  But  a  single  ship,  the  "Wasp, 
eighteen  guns,  Captain  Jones,  was  on  foreign  service,  and 
she  was  on  her  return  from  Europe  with  despatches.  It 
is,  however,  some  proof  that  the  Government  expected 
nothing  more  from  its  navy  than  a  few  isolated  exploits 
hat  could  produce  no  great  influence  on  the  main  results 
of  the  contest,  that  the  force  the  country  actually  possess- 
ed was  not  collected  and  ordered  to  act  in  a  body  during 
the  short  period  that  it  would  possess  the  advantage  of 
assailing  the  enemy,  while  the  latter  was  ignorant  of  the 
existence  of  hostilities.  A  squadron  of  three  twenty-four- 
pounder  frigates,  of  as  many  eighteen-pounder  vessels  of 
the  same  class,  and  of  eight  or  ten  smaller  cruisers,  all 
effective,  well  manned,  and  admirably  officered,  might 
have  been  assembled  with  a  due  attention  to  preparation. 
The  enemy  had  but  one  two-decker,  an  old  sixty-four,  on 
the  American  coast,  and  the  force  just  mentioned  was 
quite  sufficient  to  have  blockaded  both  Halifax  and  Ber- 
muda for  a  month,  or  until  the  English  received  intelli- 
gence of  the  war,  and  had  time  to  reenforce  from  the 
West  Indies.  But  the  declaration  of  war  did  not  find 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT.  4:7 

the  little  marine  of  America  in  a  condition  to  act  in  a 
combined,  intelligent,  and  military  manner.  The  vessels 
were  scattered,  some  were  undergoing  repairs,  others 
were  at  a  distance,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  small 
squadron,  every  thing  was  virtually  committed  to  the 
activity,  judgment,  and  enterprise  of  the  different  cap- 
tains. Information  had  been  received  of  the  sailing  of  a 
large  fleet  of  Jamaica-men,  under  protection  of  a  strong 
force,  and  these  vessels  would  naturally  be  sweeping 
Joug  the  American  coast,  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  It  was 
determined  to  make  a  dash  at  this  convoy — as  judicious 
a  plan,  under  the  circumstances,  as  could  then  have  been 
adopted.  Within  an  hour  after  he  had  received  official 
information  of  the  declaration  of  war,  together  with  his 
orders,  Commodore  Rodgers,  of  the  President,  in  New 
York  harbor,  was  under  way." 

The  squadron  hearing,  off  Sandy  Hook,  June  21st, 
from  an  American  vessel,  that  the  Jamaica  ships  had 
been  seen,  crowded  sail  in  pursuit.  Soon  the  fast-sailing 
President  shot  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  and  at  4 
o'clock  P.  M.  was  within  gun  range  of  the  enemy.  The 
wind  then  fell,  giving  the  lighter  Englishmen  the  advan- 
tage ;  and  fearing  they  might  get  away,  Commodore 
Rodgers  determined  to  cripple  them  by  opening  fire. 
With  his  own  hand  he  sent  the  first  shot  of  the  war  intc 
a  hostile  ship.  After  a  severe  cannonade  for  three  tours, 
during  which  the  forecastle  was  blown  up  by  a  bursting 


4:8  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT. 

gun,  throwing  Commodore  Rodgers  into  the  air,  and 
breaking  a  leg  in  the  fall,  the  contest  was  abandoned, 
because  the  Jamaica  vessels  kept  too  far  ahead  for  the 
President's  guns.  Several  men  were  killed  on  both  sides — 
the  baptism  of  blood  upon  the  naval  arena  of  warfare 
with  haughty,  boastful  England. 

The  war,  which  was  to  be  fought  largely  upon  the 
sea,  was  now  fairly  opened.  Our  war-ships  began  to 
move  at  different  points  along  the  coast.  Among  the 
frigates  honored  with  an  early  and  conspicuous  part  in 
the  strife  was  the  ESSEX  ;  and  as  our  hero  spent  two 
years  of  his  early  youth  under  her  pennant,  and  that,  too, 
during  time  of  war,  you  will  like  to  know  something  of 
her  history.  The  Essex  was  launched  in  1799.  This 
vessel  was  a  frigate  of  twenty-six  guns,  called  long 
twelves,  but  before  the  war,  in  their  places,  she  mounted 
thirty-two  pound  carronades ;  a  short  cannon  designed  to 
throw  heavy  projectiles  for  breaking  in,  rather  than 
piercing  a  ship's  side,  or  other  object  at  which  it  is  aimed, 
and  so  called  from  Carron  in  Scotland,  where  they  were 
first  made.  She  was  the  first  American  man-of-war  to 
carry  the  flag  of  the  service  east  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
and  was  commanded  by  the  brave  Preble.  He  was  after- 
wards commodore,  as  was  his  successor  in  the  command 
of  the  Essex,  the  gallant  Bainbridge,  under  whom  the 
Essex  shared  in  the  Tripolitan  war.  When  the  President 
sailed,  the  Essex  was  lying  in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAEKAGUT.  4:9 

The  Constitution,  of  forty-four  guns,  Captain  Hull,  had 
gone  to  the  Chesapeake,  and  soon  after  had  her  splendid 
and  famous  chase  with  the  English  fleet,  of  which  the 
leading  vessels  were  the  Guerriere  and  Shannon. 


CHA1TKK   V. 


T&«  ESB-;X  on  the  Ocean-plain  of  ('ontlict — A  I'ri/.o— Mi<Uhipinan  K:irra_'ut 
Battl-  ami  u  Victory — Naval  Operations  in  other  Ijuarters — The  Ks 
orderiM1  oil  a  long  Cruise — The  Preparation— At  Sea  apiiu. 


,  OON  after  Commodore  Rodgers  found  the  English 
fleet,  Captain  Porter  left  his  moorings  in  New 
York  for  a  prize  hunt  to  the  southward  of  the 
Grand  Banks.  How  proudly,  gladly,  the  ship's 
crew  gazed  upward  to  the  national  ensign,  and 
out  upon  the  wide  and  watery  plain  of  conflict  with  the 
most  powerful  navy  in  the  world  !  No  hearts  beat  with 
wilder  enthusiasm  than  those  of  the  "  middies  ; "  and  oi 
this  company  of  "  young  gentlemen,"  David  Gr.  Farragut, 
then  eleven  years  of  age,  had  no  superior  in  manly,  heroic 
3pirit,  panting  to  meet  the  enemy.  See  how  closely  the 
horizon  is  scanned  for  a  sail  spread  over  a  hostile  deck, 
or,  at  least,  a  lawful  prize  !  At  length  one  is  visible,  and 
the  helm  is  turned  to  keep  the  prow  toward  the  stranger. 
The  Essex  cuts  the  blue  waters,  sweeping  down  upon  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT.  51 

unarmed  trader.  The  summons  to  surrender  rings  out 
on  the  air,  and  the  sight  of  the  grim  ordnance  enforce* 
the  demand.  A  few  moments  later  the  captured  craft,  if 
not  worth  the  trouble  of  keeping,  is  in  flames,  the  crew 
prisoners  of  war,  and  again  the  frigate  goes  before  the 
wind  in  search  of  another  prize,  until  several  have  been 
taken,  and  the  most  of  them  left  in  charred  fragments 
upon  the  waves.  This  was  in  July,  1812.  A  change  in 
the  weather  drove  the  Essex  northward,  where  for  weeks 
she  sought  her  foe. 

At  length  the  monotonous  and  tiresome  scenes  of 
fruitless  search  were  changed.  The  clear  soft  night  of 
early  autumn  was  lit  up  with  a  "  dull  moon."  The 
Essex  floated  upon  the  tide  bathed  in  the  "misty 
beams,"  which  were  reflected  from  the  canvas  tips  of  the 
rigging  and  the  waters.  It  was  a  beautiful  midnight 
scene.  The  "  middies"  were  in  their  hammocks,  and 
no  signs  of  strife  in  the  elements  or  among  the  crew 
were  visible.  Nature  seemed  reposing  upon  the  bosom 
of  infinite  love.  The  watch  was  set,  and  scanned  in  vain 
the  horizon's  rim.  The  bells  had  softly  proclaimed  the 
morning,  when  there  was  a  sudden  start  of  interest  among 
the  wakeful  few  on  the  good  ship.  "Sail  ho!"  were 
the  joyful  words  spoken  with  the  animation  that  tells 
of  the  electric  thrill  which  the  prospect  of  a  "lively 
time  "  sends  through  the  heart  of  the  mariner,  among  the 
silent  cannon  that  girdle  the  deck  of  a  man-of-war.  An 


52  LIFE   OF   ADMI/lAL   FARRAGDT. 

English  fleet  was  marching  over  the  dim  sea  northward, 
and  the  same  wind  which  filled  its  sails  bore  toward  it  the 
Essex,  impatient  to  reach  the  unsuspecting  enemy.  Upon 
approaching  the  fleet,  it  was  seen  that  "  the  English  were 
sailing  in  very  open  order,  with  considerable  intervals 
between  them,  and  that  the  convoying  ship,  a  large  ves- 
sel, was  some  distance  ahead,  and,  of  course,  to  the  lee- 
ward." The  convoy  is  an  armed  ship  for  the  protection 
of  the  vessels  which  it  attends.  The  leeward  is  that  di- 
rection toward  which  the  wind  blows.  This  position  of 
the  fleet  decided  Captain  Porter  to  disguise  the  frigate, 
and  reach  the  "  sternmost  ship  of  the  strangers,"  to  as- 
certain who  they  were,  without  exciting  suspicion.  The 
men  of  the  Essex  were  at  their  guns,  and  every  thing  was 
ready  for  a  fight.  The  morning  had  yet  scarcely  flushed 
the  east,  but  there  were  now  no  sleepers  on  board. 
Every  sailor-boy  was  at  his  post,  but  all  whose  presence 
would  intimate  the  character  of  the  cruiser  were  con- 
cealed, and  their  lower  ports  in.  Soon  the  American 
frigate  spoke  the  first  ship,  and  Captain  Porter  learned 
that  the  fleet  consisted  of  a  few  transports  accompanied 
by  a  frigate  and  bomb-vessel.  He  then  determined  to 
get  alongside  of  the  British  frigate,  and  get  possession 
of  her  by  surprise.  Shooting  ahead,  the  Essex  came  up 
to  another  transport  and  had  further  conversation,  which 
eo  far  awakened  alarm,  that  the  officer  in  command  de- 
clared his  intention  to  signal  to  the  convoy  that  a  stranger 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  53 

had  joined  the  fleet.  Disguise  was  no  longer  advisable^ 
and  throwing  it  aside,  Captain  Porter  gave  the  Eng- 
lishman to  understand  that  silence  and  retiring  from 
company  to  follow  him,  would  alone  save  her  from 
the  metal  of  his  carronades.  All  this  was  so  quietly 
done  that  the  prize  was  secured  without  exciting  suspi- 
cion of  what  was  transpiring  in  the  rest  of  the  fleet. 
The  captured  vessel  contained  one  hundred  and  fifty 
troops.  Before  these  could  be  removed  and  secured,  the 
morning  light  rendered  the  designed  attack  on  the  convoy 
too  doubtful  an  experiment  to  be  attempted.  This  ter- 
minated the  exciting  moonlight  chase,  the  first  after  a 
fleet  with  armed  vessels,  which  had  enlivened  the  decks 
of  the  Essex,  and  given  a  fair  prospect  to  the  "  middies" 
of  smelling  powder. 

A  few  days  later  the  frigate  discovered  "a  strange 
sail  to  the  windward."  The  Essex  was  again  concealed 
by  a  disguise.  Her  appearance  was  that  of  an  unoffend- 
ing merchantman  on  her  way  to  some  commercial  port. 
Her  gun-deck  ports  were  in,  "  the  topgallant  masts  housed, 
and  the  sails  trimmed  in  a  slovenly  manner."  Com- 
pletely deceived  by  the  harmless  aspect  of  the  stranger, 
the  English  ship  sailed  before  the  wind  without  a  sign  of 
fear,  and  consequently  of  preparation.  Captain  Porter, 
upon  her  approach,  showed  his  ensign  and  kept  out  of  his 
pursuer's  way.  This  affected  alarm  emboldened  the 
enemy,  who,  setting  British  colors,  opened  fire.  It 


54:  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABEAGUT. 

now  the  turn  of  the  Essex  to  show  herself.  The  ports 
were  cleared,  and  her  carronades  replied  to  the  ordnance 
of  England.  What  a  moment  was  that  to  the  midship- 
man who  had  never  before  even  witnessed  a  naval  en- 
gagement !  The  frigate  trembles  to  the  discharge  of  her 
thirty-two  pounders,  and  their  smoke  curls  upward  tow- 
ard the  streaming  pennant.  After  the  second  broadside, 
the  Englishmen  deserted  their  guns  and  ran  below.  In 
eight  minutes  after  the  Essex  fired  the  enemy  struck,  and 
Captain  Porter  sent  Lieutenant  Finch  on  board  to  take 
possession  of  her.  The  prize  was  His  Britannic  Majesty's 
ship  Alert,  mounting  twenty  eighteen-pounder  carronades. 
Although  the  Alert  was  inferior  in  armament  to  the 
Essex,  this  first  capture  of  a  man-of-war  since  hostilities 
commenced,  wounded  the  pride  of  England,  and  en- 
couraged this  country,  because  it  showed  to  both  that 
the  boasted  and  arrogant  claim  of  the  mother  country  to 
supremacy  on  the  seas,  might  be  an  exaggerated  impres- 
sion, after  all.  Finding  that  the  large  number  of  prison- 
ers taken  contemplated  mutiny  in  case  another  engage- 
ment afforded  the  opportunity,  Captain  Porter  succeeded 
in  making  an  arrangement  with  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  Alert,  to  send  the  frigate  as  a  cartel  to  St.  John's ; 
L  e.  a  ship  of  truce,  carrying  prisoners  or  despatches, 
and  exempt  from  capture.  Continuing  her  cruise  south- 
ward of  the  Grand  Banks,  the  Essex  fell  in  with  hostile 
frigates,  and  repeated  the  almost  successful  game  with  the 


UFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  55 

cenvoy  a  short  time  before.  Having  clone  nobly  in  her 
first  cruise  of  the  war,  she  returned  to  moorings  in  the 
Delaware  to  get  fresh  supplies,  and  await  further  orders 
from  the  Government.  The  weeks  in  port  passed  swiftly 
by ;  the  officers  and  crew  visiting  the  shore,  and  sharing  in 
the  social  life  and  change  of  scene,  the  seamen  for  awhile  so 
intensely  enjoy.  The  longing  for  active  service,  however, 
returns,  and  the  orders  to  prepare  for  a  voyage  again  was 
hailed  by  the  people  of  the  Essex.  The  fresh  start  for 
distant  seas  I  will  give  you  in  the  words  of  the  brave 
commander's  journal,  in  which  will  be  found  the  name  of 
DAVID  G.  FAREAGUT.  I  shall  quote  the  names  of  the 
officers  only,  down  to  the  "  Boy ; "  and  from  the  record  of 
the  voyage,  to  the  first  bird.  "Writes  Captain  Porter : 

"  October  6,  1812. — I  received  orders  from  Commo- 
dore William  Bainbridge  to  prepare  the  Essex  for  a  long 
cruise,  and  on  the  day  following  received  his  final  instruc- 
tions, appointing  places  of  rendezvous,  and  the  next  day 
a  copy  of  his  orders  from  the  honorable  Secretary  of  the 
Navy. 

"  I  consequently  directed  the  ship  to  be  furnished  with 
every  requisite  supply  of  stores,  etc. ;  ordered  for  her  a 
new  suit  of  sails  and  standing  rigging  ;  took  out  the  bow- 
sprit and  fished  it,  and  put  her  in  the  best  possible  state 
for  service,  taking  in  as  much  provisions  as  she  could 
stow,  and  providing  ourselves  with  a  double  supply  of 
clothing,  and  fruit,  vegetables,  and  lime  juice  as  autifioor- 


56  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

butics.  I  also  gave  the  officers  and  men  intimation  of 
the  probable  length  of  our  cruise,  in  order  that  they  might 
supply  themselves  with  such  comforts  as  their  means 
would  admit  of,  they  having  recently  been  paid  a  propor- 
tion of  the  prize-money  for  the  last  cruise,  and  advanced 
the  officers  three  months'  pay.  They  accordingly  fur- 
nished themselves  with  stock,  vegetables,  and  other  stores, 
in  as  large  quantities  as  could  be  stowed  away,  and  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  28th  we  left  the  Capes  of  Delaware, 
with  the  wind  from  the  northward,  which  gradually 
hauled  around  to  the  westward,  blowing  fresh,  with  thick 
weather,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  we  were  enabled  to 
weather  the  dangerous  shoals  of  Chincoteague. 

"  Prior  to  the  pilot's  leaving  us,  I  caused  him  to  de- 
liver into  my  possession  all  letters  which  might  have  been 
given  him  by  the  crew,  apprehensive  that,  from  some  ac- 
cidental cause,  they  might  have  become  possessed  of  a 
knowledge  of  our  destination.  They  all,  however,  con- 
tained only  conjectures,  except  one,  the  writer  of  which 
asserted,  as  he  stated,  from  good  authority,  that  we  were 
bound  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  As  some  of  their  conjec- 
tures were  not  far  from  being  correct,  I  thought  it  best  to 
destroy  the  whole  of  them,  and  forbid  the  pilot's  taking 
any  more  without  my  consent.  To  the  officers  who  were 
desirous  of  writing  to  their  friends,  I  enjoined  particularly 
not  to  mention  the  movements  of  the  ship  in  any  way. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the  wind  hauled  around 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  67 

to  the  westward,  and  increased  to  a  gale.  Got  the  ship 
under  snug  sail,  and  secured  our  masts,  by  setting  up  the 
rigging,  which  being  new,  had  stretched  considerably. 
The  ship  being  very  deep,  we  found  her  unusually  labor- 
some  and  uncomfortable  ;  her  straining,  occasioned  by  her 
deep  rolling,  opened  her  water-ways,  and  kept  the  berth- 
deck  full  of  water,  damaged  a  great  deal  of  our  provisions 
stowed  on  it,  and  wet  all  the  bedding  and  clothes  of  the 
crew ;  found  also  the  coal-hole  full  of  water ;  found  a 
leak  somewhere  between  the  cutwater  and  stem,  but  in 
other  respects  the  ship  was  tight ;  for,  after  scuttling  the 
berth-deck  and  bulkhead  of  the  coal-hole,  we  could  easily 
keep  her  free  by  pumping  a  few  minutes  every  two  hours. 
"  Previous  to  leaving  the  river  the  crew  had  been  put 
on  allowance  of  half  a  gallon  of  water  each  man  per  day ; 
and  being  desirous  of  making  our  provisions  hold  out  as 
long  as  possible,  having  views,  at  the  same  time,  with  re- 
gard to  the  health  of  the  crew,  I  caused  the  allowance  of 
bread  to  be  reduced  one-half,  and  issued,  in  lieu  of  the  re- 
mainder, half  a  pound  of  potatoes,  or  the  same  quantity 
of  apples.  Every  other  article  of  provisions  was  reduced 
one-third,  excepting  rum,  of  which  the  full  allowance  was 
served  out  raw  to  the  cook  of  each  mess  (the  crew  being 
divided  into  messes  of  eight,  and  a  cook  allowed  to  each), 
who  was  accountable  for  its  faithful  distribution.  For 
the  undrawn  provisions,  the  purser's  steward  was  directed 
to  issue  due-bills,  with  assurances  on  my  part  that  they 
3» 


58  LIFE   &P   ADMIRAL   FAJRRAGUT. 

should  be  paid  the  amount  on  our  arrival  in  port.  Orders 
were  given  to  lose  no  opportunity  of  catching  rain-water 
for  the  stock,  of  which  we  had  a  large  quantity  on  board, 
every  mess  in  the  ship  being  supplied  with  pigs  and 
poultry.  The  allowance  of  candles  was  reduced  one-half, 
and  economy  established  respecting  the  consumption  of 
wood  and  the  expenditure  of  the  ship's  stores.  Habits 
of  cleanliness  and  care  with  respect  to  clothing  were 
strongly  recommended  to  the  officers  and  crew.  I  now 
gave  a  general  pardon  for  all  offences  committed  on 
board ;  recommended  the  strictest  attention  to  the  disci- 
pline of  the  ship ;  held  out  prospects  of  reward  to  those  who 
should  be  vigilant  in  the  performance  of  their  duty,  and 
gave  assurances  that  the  first  man  I  was  under  the  neces- 
sity of  punishing  should  receive  three  dozen  lashes  ;  ex- 
pressing a  hope,  however,  that  punishment  during  the 
cruise  would  be  altogether  unnecessary.  I  directed,  as  a 
standing  regulation,  that  the  ship  should  be  fumigated  in 
every  part  every  morning,  by  pouring  vinegar  on  a  red- 
hot  shot,  and  confided  to  Lieutenant  Finch  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  berth-deck,  in  order  to  preserve  it  in  a 
cleanly  and  wholesome  state.  Lime  being  provided  in 
tight  casks,  for  the  purpose  of  white-washing,  and  sand 
for  dry-rubbing  it,  and  orders  given  not  to  wet  it  if  there 
should  be  a  possibility  of  avoiding  it,  a  comfortable  place 
was  fitted  up  for  the  accommodation  of  the  sick  on  the 
berth-deck  ;  cleete  were  put  up  for  slinging  as  many  ham- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  59 

mocks  as  possible  on  the  gun-deck  ;  and  orders  given  that 
jto  wet  clothes  or  wet  provisions  should  be  permitted  to 
emain  on  the  berth-deck,  nor  the  crew  be  permitted  to 
&at  anywhere  but  on  the  gun-deck,  except  in  bad  weather. 
Having  established  the  above  and  other  regulations  as 
regarded  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  crew,  I  exhorted 
the  officers  to  keep  them  occupied  constantly  during  work- 
ing hours  in  some  useful  employment,  and  directed  that 
two  hours  between  four  and  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
should  be  allowed  to  them  for  amusement,  when  the  duties 
of  the  ship  would  admit. 

"  The  30th  was  devoted  entirely  to  airing  the  bedding, 
drying  the  clothing  of  the  crew  that  was  wet  during  the 
gale,  getting  the  berth-deck  in  the  most  comfortable  state, 
exercising  the  crew  at  the  great  guns,  and  putting  the  ship 
in  the  best  state  for  service.  We  found  the  powder  in  sev- 
eral of  our  guns  wet,  all  of  which  we  reloaded,  and  more 
carefully  secured. 

"  Previous  to  leaving  the  Delaware  we  landed  at  the 
hospital  those  men  whose  health  I  did  not  conceive  would 
enable  them  to  stand  the  fatigues  of  the  cruise.  As  they 
had  most  of  them  been  a  long  time  on  the  surgeon's  list, 
and  were  considered  incurable,  I  believed  it  advisable  not 
to  take  them  to  sea. 

"  My  crew  at  the  tixae  of  my  departure  consisted  of 
the  following  persons : 


60  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAQUT. 

Ho.  Ndmet.  Bank. 

2.  John  Downes 1st  Lieutenant 

3.  James  P.  Wilmer. 2d  " 

4.  James  Wilson 3d  " 

6.  William  Finch    . , .. . .  . .Acting  4th  Lieut 

6.  Stephen  D.  M'Knight "       6th      " 

7.  John  G.  Cowell Sailing-master. 

8.  Robert  Miller Surgeon. 

9.  David  P.  Adams Chaplain. 

10.  John  R.  Shaw. Purser. 

11.  William  H.  Haddiway Midshipman. 

12.  David  G.  Farragut " 

13.  Richard  DashieU , " 

14.  John  S.  Cowan " 

15.  Charles  T.  Clark «4 

16.  William  H.  Odenheimer «* 

17.  Henry  W.Ogden " 

18.  Henry  Gray u 

19.  George  W.  Isaacs. ** 

20.  William  W.  Feltus " 

21.  Thomas  A.  Cenover " 

22.  David  Tittermary " 

23.  Richard  E.  Hoflman Acting  Sur.  mate 

24.  Alexander  M.  Montgomery " 

25.  Edward  Linscott Boatswain. 

26.  Lawrence  Miller Gunner. 

27.  John  S.  Waters Carpenter. 

28.  David  Navarro Sailmaker. 

28.  W.  W.  Bostwick Captain's  c'erk. 

30.  William  P.  Pierce Master's  mate. 

81.  James  Terry " 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  61 

A'a  Mimes.  .  Hank. 

82.  Thomas  Belcher Boatswain's  mate. 

33  Joseph  Hawley " 

34  William  Kingsbury " 

35.  George  Martin Gunner's  mate. 

86.  James  Spafford " 

37.  John  Langley Carpenter's  mate. 

38.  Bennet  Field Armorer. 

39.  George  Kensinger,  jr Master-at-arma, 

40.  John  Adams Cooper. 

41.  John  Francis Coxswain. 

42.  Thomas  Coleman Steward. 

43.  John  Haden , Cook. 

44.  Thomas  Bailey Boatswain's  yeom'n. 

45.  Thomas  Edwards Gunner's  yeoman. 

46.  Benjamin  Wodden Carpenter's  yeoman. 

47.  James  Rynard Quartermaster. 

48.  Francis  Bland " 

49.  William  Gardner " 

50.  John  Mallet " 

51.  RobcrtDunn " 

62.  John  Thompson " 

53.  Isaac  Valance " 

54.  Benjamin  Goers Quarter-gunner 

55.  Adam  Roach " 

56.  James  Steady " 

67.  Leonard  Green M 

58.  James  Marshall M 

59.  EdwinSellman «* 

60.  Henry  Stone •* 

61.  Heury  Ruff. Boy. 


62 


LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FAEEAGUT. 


RECAPITULATION. 
1  Captain, 
5  Lieutenants, 
1  Lieutenant  of  Marines, 
1  Sailing-master, 
1  Chaplain, 
1  Purser, 

1  Surgeon, 

2  Surgeon's  mates, 
12  Midshipmen, 

1  Boatswain, 
1  Gunner, 
1  Carpenter, 
1  Sailmaker, 

1  Captain's  clerk, 

2  Master's  mates, 

8  Boatswain's  mates, 
2  Gunner's  mates, 
1  Carpenter's  mate, 
1  Armorer, 


1  Master-at-arma, 

1  Steward, 

1  Coxswain, 

1  Cooper, 

1  Cook, 

1  Boatswain's  yeoman, 

1  Gunner's  yeoman, 

1  Carpenter's  yeoman, 
Y  Quartermasters, 

7  Quarter-gunners, 

2  Sergeants, 
2  Corporals, 
1  Drummer, 
1  Fifer, 

25  Private  marines, 
227  Seamen,      ordinary     seaman, 
landsmen,  boys,  and  supet^ 
numeraries. 
819  Total 


"  On  the  2d  of  November  the  weather  began  to  grow 
more  moderate,  in  consequence  of  which  we  got  up  from 
below  all  the  bread  and  vegetables  stowed  on  the  berth- 
deck,  for  the  purpose  of  separating  the  damaged  from  the 
rest.  Found  about  four  barrels  of  bread  entirely  spoiled, 
and  the  same  quantity  of  apples.  All  the  barrels  were 
wet ;  we  therefore  started  the  whole  of  them,  dried  th« 
provisions,  repacked  and  stowed  them  away  to  more  ad- 
vantage, securing  them  against  further  damage  from  leaks 


LIFE   OF   ADMIEAL   FARKAGUT.  63 

by  covering  them  with  tarpaulins  ;  also,  cut  two  scuttles 
in  the  berth-deck  to  carry  off  such  water  as  might  enter 
by  the  leaks  in  the  waterways,  stem,  and  down  the  hatch- 
ways ;  also,  took  advantage  of  the  good  weather  to  fleet 
and  set  up  our  main  rigging,  to  render  the  masts  more  se- 
cure ;  unbent  the  fore-topsail,  which  was  injured  ly  cha- 
fing,  and  bent  another. 

"  Having  had  favorable  winds  since  our  departure,  we 
this  day  found  ourselves  in  the  latitude  of  86°  7'  north ; 
longitude,  by  dead  reckoning,  58°  54'  west ;  but  with  a 
view  of  getting  into  a  latitude  where  we  might  expect 
more  moderate  weather,  as  well  as  to  cross  the  track  of 
vessels  bound  from  England  to  Bermudas,  and  those  from 
the  West  Indies  to  Europe,  stood  to  the  southeast. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  3d  a  sail  was  discovered  to 
the  southwest ;  made  all  sail  in  chase,  and  at  8  o'clock 
discovered  her  to  be  a  Portuguese  merchant  brig  bound  to 
the  westward;  gave  over  chase,  and  stood  on  to  the 
southeast,  with  light  winds  from  the  north  and  variable ; 
sent  up  our  royalmasts,  and  employed  the  crew  in  various 
useful  jobs,  the  sick  and  cooks  of  the  messes  being  occu- 
pied in  picking  oakum  for  caulking  the  waterways,  which 
were  found  to  be  very  open,  in  consequence  of  the  oakum 
having  washed  out.  Got  up  the  marine  clothing  from 
the  store-room  to  air,  as  some  of  it  was  found  to  be  wet 
from  the  leak  in  the  stem ;  the  other  store-rooms  on  ex- 
amination proved  to  be  dry.  Also,  employed  the  sail- 


6*  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEBAGUT. 

makers  in  repairing  the  fore-topsail  that  was  unbent,  and 
gave  directions  to  the  officers  to  get  their  boats  in  the  best 
state  for  service  (each  lieutenant  of  the  ship,  as  well  as 
the  sailing-master,  having  charge  of  one).  Toward  the 
latter  part  of  the  day  the  wind  hauled  around  from  the 
eastward,  and  threatened  rain.  This  day  saw  a  bird 
that  very  much  resembled  a  plover  in  appearance  and 
note." 

How  full  of  interest  this  glimpse  of  the  Essex  with  her 
320  souls,  pushing  out  upon  the  faithless,  pathless  ocean, 
to  encounter  not  only  its  ordinary  perils,  but  the  wrath  of 
an  enemy,  whose  powerful  navy  was  anticipating  a  speedy 
conquest  of  the  .fleets  of  the  new  Republic !  It  was  no 
"elegant  leisure"  for  officers  or  men,  as  the  "getting 
off"  has  clearly  shown.  I  wish  we  knew  more  of  the 
emotions,  and  words,  and  deeds  of  Midshipman  Farra- 
gut.  But  neither  he  nor  his  friends  on  shipboard  antici- 
pated a  day  when  the  very  prattle  of  his  childhood  would 
have  an  interest  to  grateful,  admiring  millions.  This  we 
do  know,  that  with  a  daring  and  enthusiasm  beyond  his 
years,  he  entered  into  all  the  duties  and  exciting  scenes  of 
a  mariner's  career,  commenced  almost  at  the  moment 
when  battle-flags  fluttered  over  the  canvas  of  English  an-3 
American  ships. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OB  to  Port  Praya— Its  Position  and  People— Incident*  Interesting  to  UN 
*  1  onng  Gentlemen  " — The  Sleeping  Apartments  on  board  a  Frigate — C*p 
tain  Porter  cares  for  his  People — Encounter  with  a  British  Brig — The  Prize 
—At  St.  Catharine's. 

OVEMBER  3d,  you  will  recollect,  the  Essex 
made  the  first  chase  of  the  cruise — an  exciting 
change  in  the  pleasant  voyage.  Sunshine 
and  showers  —  gentle  winds  and  calms  —  suc- 
ceeded each  other ;  the  "  young  gentlemen  "  en- 
jcjing  the  really  delightful  nautical  scenery  which  on 
the  evening  of  the  5th  was  remarkably  beautiful.  As 
twilight  came  on,  the  clouds  floated  around  the  horizon  in 
fantastic  forms,  variegated  with  gorgeous  and  delicate 
hues,  till  every  eye  was  attracted  to  the  enchanting  view. 
A  light  breeze  swelled  the  new  canvas,  which,  with  the  se- 
rene and  richly-bordered  sky,  was  reflected  from  the  gen- 
tly-undulating ocean.  Commodore  Porter  alludes  to  th« 
evening  with  enthusiastic  admiration. 

The  next  day  was  more  breezy,  and  the  frigate  marched 


66  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT. 

over  the  waves  under  a  glorious  sky,  with  nothing  to 
interrupt  the  usual  round  of  duty.  "  At  night  a  magnifi- 
cent meteor  shot  out  upon  the  clear  sky,  and  continued  to 
glitter  several  minutes  before  it  exploded." 

Upon  the  7th  "  Sail  ho  !  sail  ho  ! "  comes  from  the 
lips  of  the  watcher  for  the  welcome  sight ;  and  soon  the 
warlike  aspect  of  the  distant  ship  is  visible.  The  men 
spring  to  their  posts,  and  the  chase  begins.  The  hours 
of  day  vanish,  and  still  the  Essex  spreads  all  her  sails  in 
the  pursuit  of  the  stranger.  How  unlike  the  evening  be- 
fore !  Now  all  thought  is  turned  to  the  flying  ship,  which 
eludes  the  Essex  under  the  cover  of  darkness. 

The  sick  list  of  the  frigate  decreased  daily,  because  of 
th«  excellent  sanitary  arrangements  of  the  thoughtful,  be- 
nevolent commander.  The  name  of  Farragut  nowhere 
appears  on  the  roll  of  the  invalids,  his  correct  manner 
of  life  saving  him  from  the  dreaded  solitude  of  sickness. 

On  the  moonlight  evening  of  the  16th,  the  appreciative 
eye  of  the  young  midshipman  was  charmed  with  a  scene 
not  uncommon  in  this  latitude  ;  every  object  in  view  wore 
a  green  hue.  The  atmosphere  seemed  to  glow  with  an 
emerald  light,  bathing  sky  and  sea.  The  softness  and 
loveliness  of  the  horizon,  and  of  the  ocean,  whose  bosom 
at  that  hour  was  fanned  by  the  light  breath  of  Nature 
sinking  into  repose,  cannot  be  imagined  by  one  who  has 
not  beheld  it. 

The  next  morning  brought  another  stir  among  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  67 

men  of  the  Essex.  The  day  was  calm,  and  while  giving 
"  tke  rigging  a  good  setting-up  "  a  sail  was  discerned  in 
the  distance,  and  the  frigate  in  a  few  moments  was  steer- 
ing directly  for  it.  The  chase  was  short,  the  vessel  prov- 
ing tc  be  a  Portuguese  brig,  and  bringing  the  news  of 
embargo  laid  upon  American  vessels  in  the  Brazils  upon 
hearing  of  the  war. 

Scarcely  was  the  chase  over  before  the  sea-world 
again  put  on  the  emerald  glory  of  her  tropical  enchant- 
ment, attracting  all  eyes  to  the  suggestive  contrast  with 
the  rising  conflict  between  two  Christian  nations. 

November  23d  the  Essex  approached  the  tropics  off 
the  coast  of  North  America,  and  her  decks  became  the 
scene  of  all  sorts  of  comedy — it  was  the  sailor's  ceremony 
of  "  crossing  the  line."  Old  Neptune  was  represented 
with  his  train  of  imps,  barbers,  etc.,  the  "middies" 
sharing  in  the  strange  and  varied  entertainment. 

Wrote  the  indulgent  commander :  "  Neptune,  how- 
ever, and  most  of  his  suite,  paid  their  devotions  so  fre- 
quently to  Bacchus,  that  before  the  christening  was  half 
gone  through,  their  godships  were  unable  to  stand ;  the 
business  was  therefore  entrusted  to  subordinates,  who 
performed  both  the  shaving  and  washing  with  as  little 
regard  to  tenderness  as  his  majesty  would  have  done. 

"  On  the  whole,  they  got  through  the  business  with 
less  disorder  and  more  good  humor  than  I  expected  ;  and 
though  some  were  most  unmercifully  scratched,  the  only 


66  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

satisfaction  sought  was  that  of  shaving  others  in  their 
turn  with  newly-invented  tortures." 

Scarcely  had  the  crew  sobered  down  before  Midship- 
man Farragut  looked  upon  two  green  islands,  between 
which  the  frigate  lay,  with  all  the  interest  of  ardent  boy- 
hood, far  out  at  sea,  amid  novel,  strange,  and  often  in- 
spiring scenes.  His  commander  and  friend  will  tell  you 
what  he  saw ;  and  who  would  not  like  to  have  shared 
with  him  the  luscious  fruits  ? 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  27th  we  were  between  the 
isles  of  Mayo  and  St.  Jago.  On  the  sides  of  the  moun- 
tains of  the  latter  we  could  perceive  several  villages  and 
large  flocks  of  goats,  but  the  arid  appearance  of  the  soil 
scarcely  left  us  the  hope  that  it  would  afford  us  the  re* 
freshments  we  required,  as  no  vegetable  or  tree  of  any 
description  could  be  perceived  by  us,  except  a  few  scatter- 
ing cocoa-nut  trees.  The  island  had  altogether  a  most 
dreary  and  uncultivated  appearance,  and  I  had  partly 
determined  in  my  own  mind  only  to  look  into  the  road 
of  Praya,  to  see  if  there  were  any  of  our  ships  of  war 
there,  as  this  was  the  first  rendezvous  fixed  on  by  Com- 
modore Baiubridge.  At  2  p.  M.  rounded  to  the  east  point 
of  Porto  Praya,  and  stretched  into  the  harbor,  showing 
the  American  colors,  the  Portuguese  being  displayed  on  a 
flashy  flagstaff  erected  on  a  hill  at  one  corner  of  the  ruin* 
of  a  fort  in  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  and  in  front  of  the 
town.  Perceiving  no  vessels  in  the  bay  except  a  small 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  69 

Portuguese  schooner,  I  hauled  off;  but  being  desirous  of 
procuring  some  information  respecting  the  Commodore, 
as  this  was  the  day  appointed  by  him  to  leave  this  place 
for  Fernando  de  Noronha,  I  concluded  on  sending  Lieu- 
tenant Downes  ashore  with  a  person  who  could  speak  the 
Portuguese  language ;  and  as  a  pretext  for  so  doing,  I 
directed  him  to  state  to  the  governor  that  we  were  an 
American  frigate  wanting  supplies,  to  request  his  permis- 
sion to  obtain  them,  to  inform  him  I  should  fire  a  salute 
provided  he  would  return  gun  for  gun,  and  that  I  should, 
provided  I  anchored,  take  the  earnest  opportunity  of 
making  my  respects  to  him.  On  the  return  of  Mr. 
Downes  he  informed  me  that  the  governor  could  not  be 
seen,  as  he  had  gone  to  take  his  afternoon  nap,  but  that 
the  lieutenant-governor,  or  second  in  command,  informed 
him  we  could  obtain  every  supply  we  stood  in  need  of; 
that  the  salute  should  be  returned  gun  for  gun ;  that  the 
governor  would  be  happy  to  see  me  on  shore  ;  expressed 
his  astonishment  that  I  should  have  asked  permission  to 
come  in ;  and  concluded  with  an  offer  of  his  services  in 
procuring  the  supplies  we  might  want.  Mr.  Downes  in- 
formed me  that  no  government  vessels  of  war  had  been 
at  Praya ;  that  the  American  privateer  Yankee,  from 
Boston,  and  another  privateer  from  Salem,  and  an  armed 
British  schooner,  had  been  there  not  long  since.  I  con- 
sequently concluded  to  stop  a  few  days,  and  during  the 
time  to  fill  up  our  water  and  take  in  refreshments.  1 


70  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

therefore  ran  in  and  anchored  in  seven  fathoms  of  water, 
dear  sandy  bottom,  the  flagstaff  bearing  N.N.W.,  and 
the  east  end  of  Quail  Island  west  by  compass.  We  fired 
the  salute,  which  was  punctually  returned. 

"  At  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  I  waited 
on  his  excellency,  accompanied  by  some  of  the  officers. 
He  was  engaged  at  the  time  on  some  business  at  the 
custom-house,  as  I  was  informed,  and  could  not  be  seen 
antil  about  eleven;  the  second  in  command,  however, 
\fajor  Medina,  who  spoke  indifferent  English,  entertained 
**  during  the  interval,  making  offers  of  his  services  in 
procuring  the  supplies,  of  which  we  gave  him  a  list. 
After  making  the  necessary  arrangements  and  fixing  on 
the  prices,  we  waited  on  the  governor,  whom  we  found 
at  hie  house,  dressed  in  all  his  splendor  to  receive  us. 
His  reception  was  of  the  most  friendly  nature,  and  I  am 
persuaded  he  was  much  pleased  to  see  us  in  the  port. 
He  expressed  much  regret  that  the  war  had  deprived 
them  of  the  advantage  arising  from  the  American  com- 
merce, as  they  had  been  cut  off  from  all  their  supplies, 
and  were  uow  destitute  of  bread  and  every  other  comfort 
of  life  except  what  the  island  afforded,  which  consisted 
chiefly  in  live  stock  and  fruit.  He  told  me  that  a  little 
flour,  or  auy  thing  else  we  could  spare,  would  be  most 
acceptable  to  him,  and  invited  me  to  make  my  dinner 
with  him,  oa  such  scanty  fare  as  he  was  enabled  to  give 
me  ;  adding,  if  T  would  come  on  shore  next  day,  he  would 


uIFii    OF    ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  71 

endeavor  to  provide  something  better.  I  accepted  hia  in- 
v.tation  with  as  little  ceremony  as  it  was  given;  and 
although  there  was  but  little  variety  of  meats,  he  had  an 
abundant  supply  of  the  best  tropical  fruits  I  ever  tasted, 
The  oranges  were  very  fine.  We  this  day  commenced 
watering ;  but,  after  having  to  roll  the  casks  about  five 
hundred  yards,  found  great  difiiculty  in  getting  them  from 
the  beach,  on  account  of  the  heavy  surf. 

u  On  the  29th  I  again  dined  with  the  governor,  and 
from  that  time  until  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  December, 
we  were  occupied  in  getting  on  board  refreshments  and 
water ;  but  of  the  latter  we  were  only  enabled  to  get 
about  fire  thousand  gallons.  The  beef  was  very  dear, 
and  very  poor ;  a  bullock  weighing  three  hundred  weight 
cost  thirty-five  dollars  ;  sheep  were  three  dollars,  but  very 
poor ,  oranges  forty  cents  per  hundred,  and  other  fruits 
in  the  same  proportion  and  in  the  greatest  abundance. 
It  is  supposed  that  the  ship  had  not  on  board  less  than 
one  hundred  thousand  oranges,  together  with  a  large 
quantity  of  cocoa-nuts,  plantains,  lemons,  limes,  casada, 
etc.  Every  mess  on  board  were  also  supplied  with  pigs, 
sheep,  fowls,  turkeys,  goats,  etc.,  which  were  purchased 
tolerably  cheap  ;  fowls  at  three  dollars  per  dozen,  and  fine 
turkeys  at  one  dollar  each ;  many  of  the  seamen,  also, 
furnished  themselves  with  monkeys  and  young  goats  as 
pets,  and  when  we  sailed  from  thence  the  ship  bore  no 


72  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

iligkt  resemblance,  as  respected  the  different  animals  on 
board  her,  to  Noah's  ark. 

"  In  the  town  of  Praya  there  are  not  more  than  thirty 
whites ;  the  rest  of  the  population  is  made  up  of  slaves 
and  free  negroes,  making  altogether  not  more  than  three 
thousand,  of  whom  about  four  hundred  are  soldiers.  A1J 
the  officers,  except  three  or  four,  are  mulattoes,  and  their 
priest  is  a  negro,  who  possesses  considerable  polish  of 
manners.  The  soldiers  are  generally  destitute  of  clothing 
from  the  waist  upward ;  and  it  can  be  asserted  with  a 
certainty  of  adhering  strictly  to  the  truth,  that  there  are 
not  five  serviceable  muskets  in  Praya.  Most  of  them  are 
without  any  locks,  their  stocks  broken  off  at  the  breech, 
their  barrels  tied  into  the  stocks  with  a  leather  thong,  or 
a  cord  made  of  the  fibres  of  the  cocoa-nut ;  and  it  was  no 
uncommon  thing  to  see  a  naked  negro  mounting  guard, 
shouldering  a  musket  barrel  only.  Their  cavalry  were 
in  a  corresponding  style,  mounted  on  jackasses,  and  armed 
with  broken  swords.  The  governor  informed  me  it  had 
been  ten  years  since  they  had  received  any  pay,  or  sup- 
plies of  clothing  or  arms. 

"  The  guns  of  different  calibres  mounted  about  Praya, 
for  the  defence  of  the  place,  although  in  commanding 
situations,  are  in  a  state  equally  bad  with  the  muskets  of 
the  negroes.  They  are  placed  on  ship's  carriages,  which 
are  old  and  rotten,  scarcely  holding  together,  without 
platform,  shelter,  or  breastwork,  except  a  slight  dilapi- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGTJT. 

dated  one  before  the  saluting  battery,  and  another  iu  as 
bad  a  state  on  the  west  point  of  the  bay.  The  whole 
number  of  guns  amounts  to  thirty ;  and  for  them  chiefly 
they  are  indebted  to  a  Portuguese  frigate  that  was  lost 
by  the  negligence  of  her  officers  about  three  years  since. 
Porto  Pray  a  could  be  taken,  and  every  gun  spiked,  by 
thirty  men. 

"  An  abundance  of  fish  may  be  caught  with  the  hook 
and  line  alongside,  and  with  the  seine  on  the  beach, 
where  we  hauled  every  morning  during  our  stay— one 
afternoon  at  the  particular  request  of  the  governor,  when 
himself  and  the  ladies  of  his  family,  as  well  as  all  the 
other  white  ladies  of  the  town,  consisting  altogether  of 
seven,  besides  the  white  and  colored  officers,  attended. 
We  were  not  at  that  time  so  fortunate  as  we  were  after- 
wards ;  we  however  caught  enough  to  afford  them  a 
mess,  which  I  caused  to  be  carried  to  their  houses.  A 
very  good  amusement  may  be  had  in  the  bay  by  rowing 
with  a  small  boat  across  the  mouth,  and  towing  a  line 
with  a  hook  fastened  on  with  wire,  and  baited  with  small 
fish,  for  the  purpose  of  catching  barracoutas.  The  best 
time  is  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening  and  at  daylight  in  the 
morning. 

"  On  the  29th,  after  dinner,  the  governor  visited  the 

ship,  with  the  ladies  of  his  family  and  all  the  officers  of 

the  garrison,  black  and-  white  ;  on  his  leaving  us  I  caused 

a  salute  of  eleven  guns  to  be  fired.    He  was  much  pleased 

4 


74  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEKAGTTT. 

with  the  attentions  paid  him,  and  next  day  spoke  of  ft 
with  renewed  offers  of  cjvility.  I  sent  him,  as  well  as 
Medina,  a  barrel  of  flour  and  pork,  with  some  other  small 
articles,  and  in  return  he  sent  me  off  six  fine  turkeys. 
From  the  favorable  disposition  of  the  governor  and  officers 
of  the  government,  as  well  as  the  facility  of  procuring  re- 
freshments, I  would  recommend  Port  Praya  as  an  excel- 
lent place  for  our  ships  to  stop  for  supplies.  The  bay  is 
of  easy  access,  and  when  the  anchor  is  once  settled  in  the 
bottom,  is  perfectly  safe.  It  is  necessary,  however,  to 
give  the  ship  half  a  cable  before  you  check  her,  or  the 
anchor  is  not  likely  to  take  hold,  and  there  is  danger  of 
her  going  on  the  rocks  of  Quail  Island,  as  was  the  case 
with  the  Portuguese  frigate. 

"  As  the  governor  hinted  to  me  that  a  letter  from  me 
to  our  minister  at  the  court  of  Brazil  would  be  agreeable 
to  him,  I  wrote  such  a  one  as  I  thought  would  be  flatter- 
ing to  him,  and  sent  it  on  shore,  informing  him  of  my  in- 
tentions to  sail  that  day.  A  signal  was  in  consequence 
hoisted  (as  he  informed  my  officer)  to  permit  us  to  depart. 

"  The  governor  is  about  forty-five  years  of  age,  a 
man  of  easy  and  agreeable  manners  and  friendly  dispo- 
sition. The  utmost  respect  is  paid  to  him  by  all  subject 
to  his  authority.  No  one  is  ever  seated  in  his  presence  ; 
and,  whenever  he  leaves  his  quarters,  he  is  always  accom- 
panied by  a  guard ;  when  on  foot,  he  is  preceded  by  a 
soldier  bearing  a  halbert. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABKAGTJT.  75 

"  The  friendly  attentions  we  met  with  in  the  port  of 
Praya  could  not  hare  been  exceeded  in  any  port  of  the 
United  States ;  and  as  the  Portuguese  are  the  allies  of 
Great  Britain,  their  attentions  were  as  surprising  as  they 
were  unexpected.  I  found,  however,  after  I  had  been 
with  them  a  short  time,  that  their  attachments  to  the 
Americans,  growing  out  of  their  commercial  interest* 
and  concerns,  were  very  strong ;  that  the  only  British 
vessels  that  ever  touched  there  were  vessels  of  war,  who 
came  for  supplies,  with  the  haughty  unconciliating  con- 
duct of  the  commanders  and  officers,  of  which  they  were 
by  no  means  satisfied.  They  spoke  of  the  prince  regent 
as  the  slave,  the  tool  of  the  British  Government,  and 
were  highly  gratified  with  the  accounts  I  gave  them  of 
our  little  success  over  the  ships  of  that  imperious  navy. 
The  governor  assured  me  he  would  give  me  every  protec- 
tion against  any  British  force  that  should  arrive  there 
during  my  stay,  and  expressed  a  strong  desire  that  we 
should  make  him  another  visit,  when  he  hoped  to  make 
our  time  more  agreeable. 

"  The  two  greatest  evils  to  guard  against  in  refreshing 
at  Porto  Praya,  is  the  bad  rum  of  the  country  and  the  heat 
of  the  sun,  to  both  of  which  the  watering  party  are  una- 
voidably exposed.  The  negroes  and  seamen  have  such  a 
variety  of  expedients  for  getting  rum  on  board,  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  detect  them.  They  hover  about  the 
beach  with  the  bottles  under  their  arms,  where  the  shawls 


76  LHPE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

of  the  females  serve  the  better  to  conceal  them ;  and  at  a 
favorable  opportunity  they  bury  them  in  the  sand,  receive 
their  money,  while  the  sailor  watches  his  opportunity  for 
getting  it  on  board  or  drinking  it.  They  sometimes  draw 
the  milk  from  the  cocoa-nuts,  fill  them  with  rum,  and  sell 
them  to  the  seamen  in  that  state  at  a  high  price.  The 
first  day  we  were  employed  in  watering  we  had  several 
men  drunk ;  but  after  that  we  were  more  fortunate,  as  I  se- 
lected the  most  trusty  men  to  fill  and  roll  the  casks  to  the 
beach,  with  directions  to  make  a  signal  when  they  were 
ready  to  tow  off.  By  this  means  we  prevented  our  boats' 
crews  from  having  any  communication  with  the  shore. 
A  similar  precaution  was  used  in  getting  our  supplies  of 
fruit  on  board :  they  were  brought  to  the  beach  by  the 
negroes,  and,  on  a  signal  being  made,  boats  were  sent  for 
them.  I  should  advise  ships  that  intend  getting  any  con- 
siderable supplies  of  water,  to  employ  negroes  altogether 
for  filling  the  casks  and  rolling  them  down  to  the  beach, 
as  it  would  entirely  prevent  the  necessity  of  exposing  the 
men  either  to  the  inclemency  of  the  sun  or  the  tempta- 
tions held  out  to  them.  The  watering-place  is  a  well  at 
the  back  of  the  town,  in  a  valley,  and  the  only  place  from 
whence  the  inhabitants  receive  their  supply. 

"  On  the  day  of  our  departure  there  were  nine  pa- 
tients, three  from  accidents  and  three  with  inflammatory 
bilious  fevers.  This  was  one  cause  of  my  hastening  from 
thence  before  I  had  completed  filling  my  water,  as  I  was 


LIFE   OF   ADM04AL    FARKAGUT.  77 

fearful  of  introducing  disease  among  the  crew.  None  of 
the  last  selected  watering-party  on  shore  were  in  the 
slightest  degree  affected  by  the  climate,  although  em- 
ployed from  daylight  in  the  morning  until  late  at  night. 
They  were,  however,  shaded  a  considerable  part  of  the 
time  by  the  groves  of  cocoa-nut  trees  that  grow  between 
the  landing-place  and  the  well,  and  they  were  not  com- 
pelled to  work  in  the  middle  of  the  day ;  added  to  this, 
those  employed  after  the  first  day  were  very  temperate, 
and  not  known  to  enter  into  any  excesses. 

"  Praya  may  be  known  by  an  old  fort  on  Point  Tu- 
baron ;  by  the  black  island  of  Quails,  on  which  several 
guns  are  mounted ;  by  the  fort  and  town  of  Praya ;  and 
by  a  flagstaff,  or  signal  establishment,  situated  on  a  moun- 
tain at  the  back  of  the  east  point  of  the  bay.  Praya  is 
situated  on  a  plain,  on  the  top  of  a  rock  overlooking  the 
bay,  the  sides  of  which,  toward  the  sea,  are  everywhere 
nearly  perpendicular,  rendering  all  approaches  imprac- 
ticable except  by  two  roads,  one  on  the  east,  the  other  on 
the  west,  which  have  been  cut  in  the  rock,  and  are  very 
steep.  The  houses,  or  cabins,  except  those  of  the  princi- 
pal officers,  are  built  of  rough  stone,  one  story  high,  and 
covered  with  the  branches  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree.  The 
poli 2e  of  Praya  is  rigid,  no  one  is  permitted  to  wear 
concealed  weapons  ;  and  had  I  not  been  well  assured  that 
there  were  no  better  arms  in  the  island,  I  should  have 
supposed  that  fears  of  an  inmrection  induced  them  to 


T8  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGBT. 

put  nuaerviceable  muskets  and  broken  cutlasses  iuto  the 
hands  of  their  naked  negro  soldiers." 

December  3d,  "  Levi  Holmes  departed  this  life.  His 
remains  were  committed  to  the  deep,  according  to  the 
funeral  ceremonies  of  the  church." 

What  a  touching  episode  in  the  history  of  the  Essex 
is  this  brief  record !  A  burial  at  sea !  The  crew  are 
summoned  to  the  deck,  the  body  of  the  dead  mariner  is 
in  its  sack  with  weights  attached  ;  and  when  the  solemn 
words  are  uttered,  "  Earth  to  earth — dust  to  dust,"  the 
shroud  and  coffin,  with  its  human  form,  glides  into  the 
sea,  and  rapidly  disappears  till  it  becomes  a  white  speck, 
and  then  is  lost  to  sight  forever !  The  health  of  the  more 
than  three  hundred  people  of  the  frigate  was  remarkably 
good ;  and  the  reason  for  it  you  will  learn  from  another 
passage  of  Captain  Porter's  journal : 

"  My  chief  care  was  now  the  health  of  my  people ; 
and  all  the  means  that  suggested  themselves  to  my  mind 
to  effect  this  great  object  were  adopted.  The  utmost 
cleanliness  was  required  from  every  person  on  board,  and 
directions  were  given  for  mustering  the  crew  every  morn- 
ing at  their  quarters,  where  they  were  strictly  examined 
by  their  officers.  It  was  recommended  to  them  to  bathe 
at  least  once  a  day,  and  the  officers  were  requested  to 
thow  them  the  example.  They  were  required,  also,  to 
use  every  means  in  their  power  to  provide  constant  em- 
ployment for  the  men  under  their  control  during  working 


LIFJZ   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAOUT.  79 

bows,  and  amusement  for  them  during  the  hours  of  re- 
creation, and  to  be  particularly  careful  not  to  harass  them 
by  disturbing  them  unnecessarily  during  their  watch  be- 
low,  aa  also  to  guard  against  any  improper  or  unneces- 
sary exposure  to  the  weather.  Economy  was  recom- 
mended to  the  crew  in  the  use  of  their  supply  of  fruit, 
and  permission  was  given  to  suspend  it  in  the  rigging 
and  other  airy  parts  of  the  ship,  in  nets  made  for  the  pur- 
pose, with  a  promise  of  the  severest  punishment  to  such 
as  should  be  detected  in  stealing  from  others.  With 
those  precautions  to  procure  exercise  and  cleanliness, 
with  proper  ventilations  and  fumigations,  a  young,  active, 
healthy,  and  contented  crew,  a  ship  in  good  order  for  the 
service  we  were  engaged  in,  well  found  with  the  best 
provisions  and  the  purest  water,  perfectly  free  from  all 
bad  taste  and  smell,  I  do  not  conceive  why  we  should  be 
in  greater  apprehension  of  disease  originating  on  board 
now,  than  on  the  coast  of  North  America.  We  have 
friendly  ports  under  our  lee,  where  we  may  stop  from 
time  to  time  to  procure  the  necessary  supplies  of  refresh- 
ments ;  and  the  weather  has  not  been  oppressive,  but  a 
moderate  and  steady  breeze  from  the  east  contributed 
greatly  to  refresh  the  air  ;  and  sailing  could  not  be  more 
pleasant  than  our  passage  toward  the  line.  The  lands- 
men on  board  were  delighted  with  it,  and  the  seamen 
felicitated  themselves  that  it  was  not  always  the  case  ai 
feav  *  or  all  the  old  women  in  the  country  would  have 


80  LIFE   «F   ADMIRAL   FARRAGDT. 

been  sailors.'  The  animals  on  board  becoming  a  serious 
burden  on  account  of  watery  tbe  commander  ordered 
them  to  be  killed,  notwithstanding  the  seamen  begged 
for  the  life  of  a  favorite  kid,  or  pig,  designed  for 
Christmas." 

Besides  the  arrangements  to  secure  health  on  board 
the  Essex,  already  given,  the  crew  were  permitted  to 
sleep  on  the  gun-deck.  This  is  the  large  deck  where  the 
cannon  are  handled,  having  the  ports  for  their  muzzles, 
which  admit  of  a  fine  circulation  of  fresh  air — a  spacious, 
well-ventilated  apartment.  But  most  of  the  commanders 
have  been  opposed  to  the  indulgence,  because  the  ham- 
mocks were  in  the  way  of  the  guns  if  suddenly  needed 
for  an  enemy. 

In  the  language  of  the  humane  Porter,  "  what  can  be 
more  dreadful  than  for  three  hundred  men  to  be  confined 
with  their  hammocks,  being  only  eighteen  inches  apart 
on  the  berth-deck  of  a  small  frigate,  a  space  of  seventy 
feet  long,  thirty-five  wide,  and  five  high,  in  a  hot  climate, 
where  the  only  apertures  by  which  they  can  receive  air 
are  two  hatchways  of  about  six  feet  square  ?  A  call  tr 
their  watch  must  be  a  relief  from  their  sufferings ;  and 
although  it  exposes  them  to  all  the  ills  attending  the  vio- 
lent and  sudden  chills  occasioned  by  the  dews  and  night 
air  while  the  pores  are  open,  and  the  body  in  a  profuse 
perspiration,  it  is  more  tolerable  than  suffocation.  Those 
sudden  and  frequent  changes  from  heat  to  cold  must,  in 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRACUJT.  81 

time,  wear  out  the  strongest  constitution,  and  produce  in* 
curable  diseases.  From  the  number  confined  in  so  small 
a  space,  tlie  whole  atmosphere  of  the  ship  becomes  tainted, 
and  not  only  those  who  are  compelled  to  sleep  below,  but 
every  person  on  board,  ia  affected  by  the  pernicious  vapors 
arising  from  the  berth-deck." 

And  the  brave,  amiable  sovereign  of  the  Essex  an- 
swers like  a  hero  who  knows  how  to  manage  war-ships 
and  men,  the  objection  of  inconvenience  in  mustering  the 
force  for  battle.  He  says,  that  by  using  the  gun-deck  for 
a  dormitory,  he  has  the  advantage  of  "  always  having 
the  men  near  their  quarters,  where,  on  the  slightest 
alarm,  they  may  be  ready  for  action.  Should  circum- 
stances make  it  necessary  for  us  to  pipe  up  the  hammocks 
on  seeing  a  strange  sail  at  night,  they  can  be  lashed  up 
much  sooner  and  with  less  confusion  on  a  roomy  gun- 
deck,  than  from  a  dark  and  crowded  berth-deck.  But  if 
it  should  happen  (which  cannot  be  the  case  with  a  good 
lookout)  that  a  vessel  is  close  on  board  before  she  is  dis- 
covered, and  there  should  not  be  time  to  get  the  ham-- 
mocks on  deck,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  cut  away  the  lan- 
yards, and  throw  the  hammocks  below,  or  on  one  side, 
clear  of  the  guns.  They  are  compelled  to  sling  the  ham- 
mocks opposite  their  guns,  and  are  accountable  for  the 
safety  of  every  article  belonging  to  {hem.  Ships  that 
adopt  this  regulation,  with  other  proper  precautions,  have 
always  healthy  crews ;  and  this  circumstance  alone, 
4* 


82  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT. 

which  contributes  so  much  to  their  comfort,  and  in  time 
of  action  must  render  them  more  efficient,  should  over- 
come the  trifling,  ill-founded  apprehension  of  not  having 
the  hammocks  stowed  in  time  for  action.  Fifteen  min- 
utes are  sufficient  at  any  time  to  make  every  preparation 
for  action ;  and  on  discovering  a  vessel  at  night,  there 
can  be  no  circumstance  which  should  render  it  necessary 
to  run  alongside  of  her  without  taking  that  much  time  to 
prepare  for  battle.  In  order  to  have  the  hammocks  in  a 
greater  state  of  readiness  for  stowing  away,  orders  were 
given  that  every  man,  on  turning  out  to  take  his  watch, 
should  lash  his  hammock  up  in  readiness  to  take  on 
deck. 

"  The  sick  are  never  permitted  to  remain  on  the  gun- 
deck  at  night,  but  are  brought  up  by  their  messmates 
every  morning,  and  their  hammocks  are  slung  in  some 
cool,  agreeable  part  of  the  gun-deck,  where  they  will  not 
be  disturbed  by  persons  at  work  or  running  against 
them." 

December  llth  the  Essex  crossed  the  equator,  that 
invisible  and  central  line  girdling  the  globe,  of  which  a 
sailor  affirmed  that  he  felt  the  jar  when  the  vessel  went 
over  it. 

The  next  day,  after  noon,  the  watchman  again  cries, 
u  A  sail,  ho  ! "  The  ship  looks  like  an  English  brig-of-war, 
and  all  hands  prepare  for  the  chase.  For  four  hours  the 
frigate  cuts  the  foam,  gaining  upon  the  strange  craft.  A 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT.  83 

signal  on  her  mast  decides  her  British  character,  and 
Captain  Porter  puts  answering  signals  of  a  similar  kind 
to  decoy  the  enemy.  The  brig  is  deceived,  and  hoists 
her  colors  at  sunset.  This  was  the  fifth  vessel  pursued 
since  the  cruise  began.  At  nine  o'clock  the  ships  were 
within  musket  shot,  and  ordering  the  large  guns  not  to 
be  fired,  to  save  the  brig  from  injury  as  far  as  possible, 
Captain  Porter  demanded  a  surrender.  Instead  of  doing 
this  he  tried  to  run  athwart  the  stern  of  the  Essex, 
give  a  raking  fire,  and  escape.  A  volley  of  musketry 
brought  the  Englishman  to  terms.  The  same  night 
$55,000,  with  the  prisoners,  were  removed.  And  to 
show  you  farther,  the  influence  under  which  the  sailor- 
boy  Farragut  was  trained  thus  early,  moulding  his  char- 
acter into  that  symmetrical,  attractive,  and  elevated  form 
it  bears,  I  will  let  his  commander,  who  was  also  a  father 
to  him,  tell  the  rest  of  the  story  of  the  capture : 

"  On  the  13th,  despatched  the  prize  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Finch,  and  as  I  sent  in  her  seventeen 
of  the  prisoners,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  parting 
with  as  many  of  my  own  crew.  I  put  on  board  the 
prize  the  captain,  master,  and  passengers ;  and,  with  a 
view  of  securing  their  neutrality  in  the  event  of  any  at- 
tempt to  retake  the  vessel,  I  permitted  them  to  go  on 
parole  of  honor,  with  the  privilege  of  embarking  on  board 
any  vessel  they  might  meet,  bound  to  England  or  else- 
where. As  I  have  never  permitted  prisoners  to  be 


84  LIFE   OF   ADMTEAL   FARRAGUT. 

plundered  in  any  one  instance,  the  officers  and  passengers 
of  the  brig  soon  felt  themselves,  while  on  board  the  Essex, 
at  perfect  ease,  and  secure  from  any  violence ;  and  they 
seemed  to  consider  their  capture  and  trip  to  America 
more  in  the  light  of  an  agreeable  adventure,  or  party  of 
pleasure,  than  a  misfortune. 

"  A  Mr.  James  Heyworth,  a  merchant  from  Brazils, 
on  leaving  my  ship,  presented  me  with  two  letters  un- 
sealed, which  he  requested  me  to  present  in  the  event  of 
my  going  to  Rio  Janeiro.  One  of  them  I  found  to  be  a 
letter  of  introduction  ;  the  other  announcing  his  capture. 
To  show  the  sentiments  by  which  he  was  impressed,  I 
shall  give  a  copy  of  them  both. 

"'December  12,  1812. 

"  '  DEAR  BROTHER  LAWRENCE  :  By  the  extreme  civil- 
ity of  the  gentleman  who  offers  to  forward  this,  I  am 
enabled  to  inform  you  that  we  have  been  captured  by  an 
American  vessel.  However,  we  are  proceeding  under 
the  direction  of  a  prize-master  to  the  United  States ; 
have  liberty,  if  we  fall  in  with  a  neutral  vessel,  to  go  on 
on  board  ;  and  if  not,  we  shall  proceed  to  North  America. 
I  am  under  my  parole,  and  expect  soon  to  be  with  my 
friends  in  England. 

"  '  We  have  been  most  humanely  treated.  I  cannot 
inform  you  more  particulars,  having  given  my  word  of 
honor  not  to  disclose  any  thing  relative  to  our  capture. 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  85 

T  am  well,  thank  God,  in  good  spirits,  and  request  yon 
will  make  yourself  easy  respecting  me. 
"  '  I  am,  dear  Lawrence, 

"  '  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"'JAMES  HEYWORTH. 
* '  Los.  Senrs.  HEY  WORTH,  IKMOOS  &  Co., 

No.  10,  Resa  das  Violas,  Rio  de  Janeiro* 

"  '  AMERICAN  FRIGATE  ESSEX,  AT  SEA,  December  13,  1812. 
" '  GENTLEMEN  :  Should  it  occur  that  the  bearer  oi 
this  letter,  Captain  Porter,  commander  of  the  United 
States  frigate  Essex,  visits  your  port,  I  have  to  entreat 
of  you  that  you  will  show  him  every  civility  and  hospi- 
tality in  your  power. 

u  '  By  attending  to  this  request  you  will  essentially 
oblige  me  ;  and  by  doing  which  you  cannot  possibly  re- 
turn, in  a  suitable  manner,  the  heavy  obligations  I  lie 
under  to  Captain  Porter,  for  his  very  generous  and 
humane  conduct  to  me  whilst  a  prisoner  on  board  his 
frigate. 

"  '  I  remain,  dear  sirs,  very  respectfully, 

"  '  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

'"JAMES  HEY  WORTH. 
"   Messrs.  HEYWORTH,  BROTHERS  &  Co.,  Rio  de  Janeiro.'1 

"  The  Nocton  proving  to  be  a  beautiful  vessel,  and 
well  calculated  for  the  United  States  service,  I  took  the 
liberty  of  recommending  her  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy 


86  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

as  a  cruiser ;  being  anxious  that  one  of  the  enemy's  small 
vessels  should  be  taken  into  our  service,  to  supplv  'k 
place  of  the   Nautilus,  which   had  been  tak«      •>•      )>• 
British  a  short  time  before. 

"  The  island  Fernando  de  Nnronna.  which  ^ou  will  see 
on  the  map,  off  the  Coast  o(  Brazi;  .vas  the  next  object 
of  unusual  interest,  riaiag  like  a  dark  spire  from  the 
ocean,  auJ  sometimes  mistaken,  as  it  was  on  board  the 
Essex,  for  a  ship  in  the  distance.  Here  they  anchored 
uvular  disguise,  and  sent  on  shore  to  hear,  if  possible, 
u-om  Commodore  Bainbridge,  whom  it  was  expected  to 
join  in  this  latitude.  He  had  been  there  and  gone,  but 
such  was  the  intelligence  gleaned,  that  Captain  Porter 
thought  he  might  yet  find  him.  This  island  was  a 
prison,  indeed,  well  fortified  in  every  part,  and  its  popu- 
lation consisting  of  a  few  miserable,  naked  exiled  Portu- 
guese, and  as  miserable  a  guard.  The  governor  is 
changed  every  three  years,  and  during  his  term  of  ser- 
vice in  the  island  has  the  privilege  of  disposing  of  its 
produce  to  his  own  emolument.  Cattle  in  abundance, 
hogs,  goats,  fowls,  etc.,  may  be  had  there,  as  well  as 
corn,  melons,  cocoa-nuts,  etc.  Ships,  formerly,  frequent- 
ly touched  for  refreshments,  wood,  and  water,  but  for 
seven  months  prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  Acasta,  none  had 
been  there.  There  are  no  females  on  the  island,  and 
none  are  permitted  to  be  there,  from  what  motives  I  can- 
not conceive,  except  it  be  to  render  the  place  of  exile  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  87 

more  horrible.  The  watering-place  is  near  the  beach,  at 
the  foot  of  the  rock  on  which  the  citadel  is  placed,  and  it 
is  with  the  utmost  difficulty  and  danger  that  the  casks  can 
be  got  through  the  surf  to  the  boat.  There  is  no  boat  in 
the  island,  and  the  only  means  of  communication  between 
Wooding  Island  and  Fernando,  is  a  small  raft  of  cata- 
maran, which  is  carefully  kept  in  one  of  the  forts,  and  is 
capable  of  bearing  only  two  men.  An  abundance  of  fish 
may  be  procured,  with  but  little  trouble,  with  the  hook 
and  line. 

"As  clothing  is  not  in  use  here,  as  hunger  may  be 
gratified  without  labor,  and  as  there  is  an  appear- 
ance of  cheerfulness,  those  that  are  not  in  chains  may 
be  supposed,  in  some  measure,  reconciled  to  a  state 
as  good,  perhaps,  as  any  they  had  formerly  been  accus- 
tomed to." 

December  13th,  "  A  sail,  ho  !  A  sail,  ho  1"  is  heard, 
for  the  first  time  since  the  Nocton  was  seized,  and  spread 
great  excitement  among  the  crew,  already  impatient  for  a 
chase  and  a  battle.  But  the  enemy's  ohip  was  sailing 
under  Portuguese  colors,  and  the  Essex  went  on  her  way 
to  escape  recognitiou  After  pursuing  and  taking  the 
Elizabeth,  starting  otf  in  aa  "  uproar  "  of  excitement 
after  amok  >-^oud&.  mistaken  for  sails,  the  frigate  dropped 
her  anchor  uetu-  the  island  of  St.  Catharine's,  to  replenish, 
if  practicable,  the  exhausted  refreshments.  This  pros- 
mo*  !>nt  a  new  thrill  of  delight  over  the  man-of-war, 


88  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGTJT. 

from  captain  to  the  "  middies"  not  only,  but  to  the  hum- 
blest "  supernumerary,"  who  must  have  his  ration  *f  food 
and  water,  and  I  am  sorry  to  add,  in  those  days,  of  rum 
to  madden  his  brain. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

A  Farewell  to  Moorings — Aronnd  Cape  Horn — Scanty  Fare — A  Eat  a  Dainty— 
A  Cup  of  Pure  Water  at  Sea — Grilles— Perils  Doubling  the  Cape — Mocha— 
A  Tragedy. 

\HE  officers  and  men  having  provided  themselvei 
with  pigs,  fowls,  plantains,  yams,  etc.,  prepared 
to  set  sail.  Fresh  beef  which  had  spoiled  on  ac- 
count of  the  heat,  was  thrown  overboard,  when  a 
gigantic  shark,  twenty-five  feet  in  length,  rose  to 
the  surface  with  the  "  quarter  of  a  bullock  in  his  mouth," 
swimming  around  with  his  prize,  just  where  the  seamen 
had  been  bathing  the  evening  before.  The  "  young  gen- 
tlemen," who  had  enjoyed  the  bath,  watched  with  horror 
the  monster,  which,  at  first,  was  supposed  to  be  a  whale, 
and  for  whose  bloody  jaws,  armed  with  its  rows  of  savage 
teeth,  they  would  have  been  only  dainty  morsels.  The 
great  bay  between  St.  Catharine's  and  the  Continent  held 
every  eye,  as  the  Essex  floated  gracefully,  proudly  away 
from  her  anchorage.  "  Handsome  villages  and  houses 


10  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

built  around,  shores  which  gradually  ascend  in  moun- 
tains, covered  to  their  summit  with  trees  which  remain 
in  constant  verdure  ;  a  climate  always  temperate  and 
healthy ;  small  islands  scattered  here  and  there,  equally 
covered  with  verdure,  the  soil  extremely  productive  ;  all 
combine  to  render  it,  in  appearance,  the  most  delightful 
country  in  the  world."  Heavy  gales  and  cooler  weather 
changed  the  aspect  of  life  in  the  frigate,  which  had  been 
one  of  romantic  and  pleasant  adventure.  Three  months 
had  passed  since  she  left  the  Delaware,  only  seven  days 
of  which  were  spent  in  port,  and  close  economy  in  stores 
became  necessary.  Again  and  again  the  commander  al- 
ludes to  the  surprising  health  of  the  crew,  which  his  own 
unwearied  care  doubtless  secured. 

The  wild  albatross  with  other  sea-birds,  and  in  the 
waters  the  whale  and  dolphin,  sported  around  the  ship, 
attracting  not  only  the  curiosity  of  the  seamen  unac- 
customed to  the  sights,  but  their  weapons  of  capture. 
The  supplies  were  getting  low,  and  there  was  occasion 
for  uneasiness  among  the  men,  which  was  anticipated  and 
prevented  by  the  unceasing  and  paternal  vigilance  of  the 
commander.  With  such  officers  on  all  our  great  ships, 
we  should  not  have  the  sad  and  horrid  tales  of  tyranny 
and  mutiny  which  disgrace  the  annals  of  the  marine. 
The  Essex  now  directed  her  course  toward  Cape  Horn, 
the  dread  of  the  mariner  who  is  compelled  to  turn  this 
tempestuous  point.  You  can  imagine,  young  reader,  the 


LITE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKBAGUT.  91 

lively  interest  with  which  David  looked  away  to  the  savage 
coast  of  Terra  del  Fuego — the  "  land  of  fire " — of  which 
we  all  learn  in  the  early  school  lessons.  The  frigate  ven- 
tured as  near  as  it  was  safe  to  do,  seeking  a  haven.  The 
distant  hills  were  seen  clothed  with  verdure,  while  the  less 
conspicuous  features  of  the  country  were  concealed  from 
observation  by  the  haziness  of  the  weather,  to  the  intense 
regret  of  those  to  whom  the  voyage  was  new  ;  "  the  fog," 
says  the  captain,  "  preventing  a  clearer  view  of  a  coast 
which  has  excited  so  much  the  attention  of  mankind, 
from  the  description  given  by  the  most  celebrated  navi- 
gators." 

Unable  to  gain  anchorage  in  the  Bay  of  Good  Suc- 
cess, whose  name  tells  the  story  of  its  grateful  shelter, 
and  is  fully  described,  first  by  Captain  Cook,  the  Essex 
ploughed  the  rough  sea  to  the  bleak  Cape  San  Diego, 
whose  scene  of  utter  desolation  spread  a  gloom  over  the 
sensitive,  homesick  heart.  Even  the  cheerful,  fearless 
Porter  declares :  "  The  appearance  was  dreary  beyond 
description.  Perhaps,  however,  the  critical  situation  of 
the  ship,  the  foaming  of  the  breakers,  the  violence  of  the 
wind,  and  the  extreme  haziness  of  the  weather,  may,  all 
combined,  have  served  to  render  the  appearance  more 
dreadful.  But  from  the  impression  made  by  its  appear- 
ance then,  and  from  the  description  given  by  others,  I  am 
induced  to  believe  that  no  part  of  the  world  presents  a 
more  horrible  aspe«t  than  Staten  Island.  Tke  breakers 


92  LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL   FAKKAGTJT. 

appeared  to  lie  about  half  a  mile  from  the  shore ;  while 
we  were  standing  off,  the  whole  sea,  from  the  violence  of 
the  current,  appeared  in  a  foam  of  breakers,  and  nothing 
but  the  apprehension  of  immediate  destruction  could  have 
induced  me  to  venture  through  it.  But,  thanks  to  the 
excellent  qualities  of  the  ship,  we  received  no  material 
injury ;  although  we  were  pitching  our  forecastle  under 
with  a  heavy  press  of  sail,  and  the  violence  of  the  sea  was 
such  that  it  was  impossible  for  any  man  to  stand  without 
grasping  something  to  support  himself.  Our  making  the 
breakers  in  the  manner  we  did  proved  most  fortunate ; 
for  had  we  passed  through  the  straits  without  discover- 
ing the  land  (which  would  have  been  the  case  had  we 
been  one  mile  further  north),  I  should  have  supposed 
myself  to  the  east  of  Staten  Island ;  and  after  running  the 
distance  which  I  believed  necessary  to  clear  Cape  St. 
John's,  have  steered  a  course  that  would  have  entangled 
us  in  the  night  with  the  rocks  and  breakers  about  Cape 
Horn.  Had  this  happened,  thick  and  hazy  as  the  weather 
continued,  our  destruction  would  have  been  inevitable,  as 
we  could  not  have  seen  the  danger  one  hundred  yards 
from  the  ship,  had  we  even  been  apprehensive  and  on  the 
lookout  for  it,  which  would  not  have  been  the  case." 

All  this  was  a  fresh  and  inspiring  acquaintance  with 
ocean  life  to  Midshipman  Farragut ;  it  was  "  seeing  the 
world,"  as  the  home  among  the  Cumberland  summits 
and  cruising  along  our  sea-border  had  never  presented 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGTJT.  93 

it  to  his  brave  young  spirit,  which  was  at  last  in  its  con- 
genial atmosphere  of  adventure  and  culture.  And  I  must 
let  you  read  his  captain's  description  of  the  encounter 
with  the  treacherous,  tempestuous  Cape,  again  revealing, 
unconsciously,  his  own  unselfish  regard  for  his  ship's  com- 
pany :  u  So  different  was  the  temperature  of  the  air,  the 
appearance  of  the  heavens,  and  the  smoothness  of  the  sea, 
to  every  thing  we  had  expected  and  pictured  to  our- 
selves, that  we  could  not  but  smile  at  our  own  credulity 
and  folly  in  giving  credit  to  (what  we  supposed)  the  ex- 
aggerated and  miraculous  accounts  of  former  voyages ; 
and  even  when  we  admitted,  for  a  moment,  the  correct- 
ness  of  their  statements,  we  could  not  help  attributing 
their  disasters  and  misfortunes  chiefly  to  their  own  im- 
prudences and  mismanagement.  As  we  had  endeavored 
to  guard  against  every  accident  that  we  had  to  appre- 
hend, we  flattered  ourselves  with  the  belief  that  fortune 
would  be  more  favorable  to  our  enterprise  than  she  had 
been  to  theirs.  But,  while  we  wer*  indulging  ourselves 
in  these  pleasing  speculations,  the  black  clouds  hanging 
over  Cape  Horn  burst  upon  us  with  a  fury  we  little  ex- 
pected, and  reduced  us  in  a  few  minutes  to  a  reefed  fore- 
sail and  close-reefed  main-topsail,  and  in  a  few  hours 
afterwards  to  our  storm-staysails.  Nor  was  the  violence 
of  the  winds  the  only  danger  we  had  to  encounter ;  for  it 
produced  an  irregular  and  dangerous  sea,  that  threatened 
to  jerk  away  our  masts  at  every  roll  of  the  ship.  With 


94  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGCT. 

this  wind  we  steered  to  the  southward,  with  a  view  of 
getting  an  offing  from  the  land,  in  expectation  of  avoiding, 
in  future,  the  sudden  gusts  and  the  irregular  seas  which 
we  supposed  were  owing  to  violent  currents,  and  confined 
to  the  neighborhood  of  the  coast.  But  in  this  expecta- 
tion we  were  much  disappointed,  for,  as  we  receded  from 
the  coast,  the  gale  increased  ;  and  it  was  in  vain  that  we 
hoped  for  that  moderate  and  pleasant  weather  which 
former  navigators  have  generally  experienced  in  the  lati- 
tude of  60°  south,  which  we  reached  on  the  18th.  From 
the  time  we  lost  sight  of  the  land  until  this  period,  the 
gales  blew  hard  from  the  northwest,  accompanied  with 
heavy  rains,  cold  disagreeable  weather,  and  a  dangerous 
sea.  We  were  never  enabled  to  carry  more  sail  than  a 
close-reefed  main-topsail  and  reefed  foresail,  and  were 
frequently  under  our  storm-staysails.  But  by  keeping  the 
ghip  a  point  free,  she  made  but  little  lee-way,  went  fast 
through  the  water,  and  gave  us  considerable  westing, 
though  we  were  carrying  a  heavy  press  of  sail,  and  were 
frequently  deluged  with  the  sea  that  broke  into  us.  The 
movement  of  every  passing  cloud  was  anxiously  watched, 
every  appearance  of  the  heavens  carefully  noted,  and  our 
chief  employment  was  comparing  the  weather  we  had  ex- 
perienced, and  present  appearances,  with  the  accounts  of 
those  who  htid  preceded  us. 

"  The  eclipse  of  the  moon,  on  the  14th,  had  prepared 
us  to  meet  with  bad  weather ;  and  we  felt  much  gratified 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   PARKAGTJT.  95 

to  believe  it  all  over,  the  weather  having  now  become 
more  moderate.  As  we  were  as  far  to  the  west  as  Cook 
on  his  first  voyage,  and  nearly  as  far  as  La  Perouse, 
when  they  stood  to  the  northward,  and  as  we  had  run  this 
distance  from  the  straits  of  Le  Maire  in  as  short  a  time 
as  it  had  ever  been  done  by  any  ship,  we  were  willing  tc 
believe  ourselves  the  favorite  children  of  fortune ;  for  the 
weather  we  had  yet  met  had  not  been  so  severe  as  some 
we  had  encountered  on  the  coast  of  North  America  dur- 
ing our  last  cruise,  and  fell  far  short  of  the  descriptions 
given  by  the  author  of  Lord  Anson's  voyage.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  18th  a  gale  came  on  from  the  westward, 
which,  for  its  violence,  equalled  any  described  by  that 
historian.  "We  were  enabled  to  force  the  ship  about  two 
knots,  through  a  tremendous  head  sea,  which  threatened 
every  moment  destruction  to  our  bowsprit  and  masts. 
The  gale,  however,  increasing,  we  were  soon  reduced  to 
the  main  storm-staysail,  and  from  that  to  bare  poles. 
About  12  o'clock  the  wind  hauled  around  to  the  south- 
west, and  blew  in  dreadful  squalls,  accompanied  with 
hail,  and  this  enabled  us  to  steer  northwest.  The  squalls 
came  at  intervals  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes,  with 
so  little  warning,  and  with  such  tremendous  blasts,  that 
it  was  impossible  to  shorten  sail ;  for  to  have  started  the 
sheets  after  they  had  struck  the  ship,  would  have  been 
attended  with  the  certain  loss  of  the  sail.  I  therefore 
saw  no  alternative  but  running  before  the  wind  while 


96  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT. 

they  lasted,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  over,  which  was 
generally  in  two  or  three  minutes,  hauled  again  by  the 
wind.  Thus,  by  the  utmost  attention  and  care,  we  were 
enabled  to  get  along  at  the  rate  of  between  five  and  six 
miles  per  hour ;  and  on  the  21st  found  ourselves,  by  esti- 
mation, in  the  latitude  of  57°  30'  south,  and  the  longitude 
of  77°  west.  And  having  now  no  doubt  of  succeeding 
speedily  in  my  passage  to  a  friendly  port,  where  we 
could  get  supplies,  I,  to  the  great  joy  of  all  on  board, 
ordered  the  allowance  of  bread  to  be  increased  to  two- 
thirds. 

"  The  weather  had  for  some  days  been  piercing  cold ; 
this,  with  the  almost  constant  rains  and  hails,  and  the 
water  shipped  from  the  heavy  seas,  and  from  leaks,  kept 
the  vessel  very  uncomfortable,  and  the  clothes  of  the 
officers  and  crew  very  uncomfortably  wet.  The  extremi- 
ties of  those  who  had  formerly  been  affected  by  the  frost 
became  excessively  troublesome  to  them,  so  much  so  as 
to  prevent  some  from  doing  their  duty ;  from  this  cause 
I  myself  was  a  considerable  sufferer.  Many,  also,  felt 
severely  the  great  want  of  shoes,  and  the  necessary  quan- 
tity of  woollen  clothing.  Their  allowance  of  provisions 
was  barely  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  nature ; 
and  as  to  refreshments  of  any  kind,  they  were  entirely 
out  of  the  question,  our  scanty  supply  obtained  at  St. 
Catharine's  having  been  long  consumed.  The  fatigues 
of  the  officers  and  crew  (although  I  endeavored  to  alle- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT.  97 

mate  them  as  much  as  possible,  by  only  keeping  the 
watch  on  deck)  were  very  considerable,  for  deceitful  in- 
tervals of  moderate  weather  would  for  a  moment  encour- 
age us  to  make  sail,  when,  in  a  few  minutes  afterwards, 
blasts,  accompanied  with  rain  and  hail,  would  threaten 
destruction  to  our  sails  and  spars.  We  had  felt  appre- 
hensive of  a  current  setting  constantly  to  the  eastward, 
but  did  not  believe  that  it  could  in  two  days  have  taken 
us  four  degrees  to  the  eastward  of  our  reckoning.  But 
great  and  mortifying  as  this  discovery  was  to  us,  it  was 
not  to  be  overcome  but  by  renewed  efforts  and  fortitude  ; 
and  as  the  wind  came  round  to  the  northward,  it  gave 
us  a  prospect  of  soon  recovering  our  lost  ground.  I 
therefore  permitted  the  crew  to  continue  to  draw  their 
increased  allowance  of  bread,  as  I  did  not  wish  them  to 
feel  the  extent  of  my  disappointment;  which,  perhaps, 
would  have  been  attended  with  a  depression  of  their 
spirits,  and  might  have  produced  that  dreaded  disease, 
the  scurvy,  from  which  we  have  been  hitherto  exempt 
in  a  most  extraordinary  degree,  not  the  least  sympton  yet 
appearing  on  board.  The  crew,  notwithstanding  their 
constant  labor,  fatigue,  and  privations,  have  enjoyed  most 
extraordinary  spirits.  They  continued  their  usual  diver- 
sions during  the  gales  ;  labored  with  cheerfulness  when 
labor  was  requisite ;  not  a  murmur  or  complaint  was 
heard,  but  all  seemed  determined  to  share  with  their 
officers  every  fatigue,  and  to  exert  themselves  to  the  ut- 


98  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGTJT. 

most  to  conquer  every  difficulty.  To  be  sure  we  had  not 
been  long  in  those  seas,  but  since  we  had  left  America 
they  have  been  deprived  of  almost  every  comfort  of  life  ; 
and  so  great  was  their  desire  now  for  fresh  provisions 
that  a  rat  was  esteemed  a  dainty,  and  pet  monkeys  were 
sacrificed  to  appease  their  longings.  Our  provisions  and 
water  still  continued  good ;  the  bread,  to  be  sure,  had 
been  attacked  by  worms  and  weevils,  but  they  had  only 
in  a  slight  degree  altered  its  qualities.  Our  peas  and  beans, 
however,  had  not  escaped  so  well ;  for,  as  in  this  cold 
climate  the  allowance  of  water  enabled  us  to  spare  enough 
to  permit  the  boiling  and  use  of  them,  I  directed  them  to 
be  served  ;  but  on  opening  the  barrels  that  contained  them, 
we  found  only  a  mass  of  chaff  and  worms.  The  rats, 
also,  had  found  the  way  into  our  bread-rooms,  and  had 
occasioned  a  great  consumption  of  that  precious  article. 
As  to  our  water,  none  could  be  sweeter  or  purer ;  it  had 
not  undergone  the  slightest  change.  And  the  only  fact  I 
think  it  necessary  to  state  in  support  of  this  assertion  is, 
that  a  live  mullet,  nearly  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in 
length,  was  this  day  pumped  from  a  cask  filled  with  the 
water  in  the  river  Delaware  ;  had  this  water  undergone 
any  corruption,  the  fish  could  not  certainly  have  existed 
in  it.  This  little  fish  I  have  put  in  a  bottle  of  its  native 
water,  with  a  view  of  preserving  it  alive.  From  its  size, 
I  should  suppose  it  to  have  been  produced  from  the 
spawn  while  in  the  cask.  The  water  taken  in  at  St, 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT.  99 

Catharine's  was  found  to  be  equally  good ;  and  my  own 
experience  now  enables  me  to  assure  all  navigators,  that 
the  only  precaution  necessary  to  have  good  water  at  sea 
is,  to  provide  casks  made  of  well-seasoned  staves,  have 
them  cleansed,  and  filled  with  pure  water.  Should  it  be 
necessary  at  any  time  (for  the  trim  or  safety  of  the  ship, 
which  is  sometimes  the  case)  to  fill  them  with  salt  water, 
particular  care  must  be  taken  that  they  be  filled  and  well 
soaked  and  cleansed  with  fresh  water  before  they  are 
filled  with  the  water  intended  for  use.  These  particulars, 
as  I  have  before  observed,  have  never  been  neglected  by 
me  since  I  had  the  command  of  a  vessel,  and  conse- 
quently no  one  on  board  has  ever  suffered  from  the  use 
of  bad  water.  This  is  an  object  that  well  merits  the  at- 
tention of  every  commander,  when  the  chief  comfort  and 
the  health  of  his  crew  are  so  much  dependent  thereon. 
For  who  has  experienced,  at  sea,  a  greater  enjoyment 
than  a  draught  of  pure  water  ?  Or  who  can  say  that  the 
ship-fever  and  scurvy  do  not  originate  frequently  in  the 
disgusting  water  which  seamen  are  too  often  driven  to 
the  necessity  of  drinking  at  sea,  even  when  their  stomachs 
revolt  at  it? 

"  On  the  24th,  after  experiencing  a  heavy  gale  from 
the  northwest,  I  had  the  extreme  satisfaction  to  find  our- 
selves as  far  to  the  westward  as  80°  ;  and  as  the  wind 
shifted  and  blew  from  the  southwest,  I  had  no  doubt  of 
being  able  to  effect  our  passage  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


100  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

I  consequently  thought  it  advisable  to  increase  the  allow- 
ance of  water,  in  order  that  the  crew  might  be  enabled  to 
spare  enough  to  afford  them  tea  morning  and  evening,  as 
I  was  convinced  it  would  conduce  as  much  to  their  health 
as  their  comfort.  When  I  communicated  to  them  this 
arrangement,  I  took  an  opportunity  of  thanking  them  for 
their  good  conduct  during  our  boisterous  and  unpleasant 
passage  around  the  Cape ;  encouraged  them  to  a  continu- 
ance of  it,  by  holding  out  prospects  of  indulgence  to  those 
who  should  so  distinguish  themselves  ;  and,  as  some  thefts 
had  been  committed,  for  which  the  perpetrators  were  then 
under  the  punishment  of  wearing  a  yoke,  I  gave  a  general 
pardon  on  condition  that  the  first  offender  brought  to  the 
gangway  should  receive  three  dozen  lashes. 

•'  It  was  with  no  little  joy  we  now  saw  ourselves  fair- 
ly in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  calculated  on  a  speedy  end  to 
all  our  sufferings.  We  began  also  to  form  our  projects 
for  annoying  the  enemy,  and  had  already  equipped,  in 
imagination,  one  of  their  vessels  of  fourteen  or  sixteen 
guns,  and  manned  from  the  Essex,  to  cruise  against  their 
commerce  ;  indeed,  various  were  the  schemes  we  formed 
at  this  time  for  injuring  them,  and  we  had  already,  in 
fancy,  immense  wealth  to  return  with  to  our  country. 
As  the  gale  continued  to  blow  from  the  southwest  every 
hour  seemed  to  brighten  our  prospects  and  give  us  fresh 
spirits  ;  and  on  the  last  of  February,  being  in  the  latitude 
of  50°  south,  the  wind  became  moderate  and  shifted  to 


LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FABEAGUT.  101 

the  northward,  the  sea  smooth,  and  every  prospect  of  mild 
and  pleasant  weather.  I  consequently  determined  to  re- 
place the  guns  and  get  the  spars  on  the  spar-deck ;  but 
before  we  had  effected  this,  the  wind  had  freshened  up  to 
a  gale,  and  by  noon  had  reduced  us  to  our  storm-staysail 
and  close-reefed  main-topsail.  It  hauled  around  to  the 
westward  in  the  afternoon,  and  blew  with  a  fury  even 
exceeding  any  thing  we  had  yet  experienced,  bringing 
with  it  such  a  tremendous  sea  as  to  threaten  us  every 
moment  with  destruction.  Our  sails,  our  standing  and 
running  rigging,  from  the  succession  of  bad  weather,  had 
become  so  damaged,  as  to  be  no  longer  trustworthy  ;  we 
took,  however,  the  best  means  in  our  power  to  render 
every  thing  secure,  and  carried  as  heavy  a  press  of  sail  as 
the  ship  would  bear,  to  keep  her  from  drifting  on  the  coast 
of  Patagonia,  which  we  had  reason  to  believe  was  not  far 
distant,  from  the  appearance  of  birds,  kelp,  and  whales, 
which  I  have  heretofore  found  to  be  tolerably  sure  indica- 
tions of  a  near  approach  to  land,  and  from  the  clouds  to 
leeward,  which  appeared  as  if  arrested  by  the  high  moun- 
tains of  the  Andes.  From  the  excessive  violence  with 
which  the  wind  blew,  we  had  strong  hopes  that  it  would 
be  of  short  continuance ;  until,  worn  out  with  fatigue  and 
anxiety,  greatly  alarmed  with  the  terrors  of  a  lee-shore, 
and  in  momentary  expectation  of  the  loss  of  our  masta 
and  bowsprit,  we  almost  considered  our  situation  hopeless. 
To  add  to  our  distress,  our  pumps  had  become  choked 


102  LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL    FAKRAGUT. 

by  the  shingle  ballast,  which,  from  the  violent  rolling  of 
the  ship,  had  got  into  them  ;  the  ship  made  a  great  deal 
of  water,  and  the  sea  had  increased  to  such  a  height  as 
to  threaten  to  swallow  us  at  every  instant;  the  whole 
ocean  was  one  continued  foam  of  breakers,  and  the 
heaviest  sqnall  that  I  ever  before  experienced  had  not 
equalled  in  violence  the  most  moderate  intervals  of  this 
hurricane.  We  had  done  all  that  lay  in  our  power  to 
preserve  the  ship  from  the  violence  of  the  elements,  and 
turned  our  attention  to  the  pumps  (which  we  were  enabled 
to  clear),  and  to  keep  the  ship  from  drifting  on  shore,  by 
getting  on  the  most  advantageous  tack.  "We,  however, 
were  not  enabled  to  wear  but  once,  for  the  violence  of  the 
wind  and  sea  was  such  as  afterwards  to  render  it  impos- 
sible to  attempt  it  without  hazarding  the  destruction  of 
the  ship  and  the  loss  of  every  life  on  board.  The  whole 
of  the  1st  and  2d  of  March  we  anxiously  hoped  for  a 
change,  but  in  vain ;  our  fatigues  had  been  constant  and 
excessive ;  many  had  been  severely  bruised  by  being 
thrown,  by  the  violent  jerks  of  the  ship,  down  the  hatch- 
ways, and  I  was  particularly  unfortunate  in  receiving 
three  severe  falls,  which  at  length  disabled  me  from 
going  on  deck.  The  gale  had  already  blown  three  days 
without  abating ;  the  ship  had  resisted  its  violence  to  the 
astonishment  of  all,  without  having  received  any  con- 
siderable injury  ;  and  we  began  to  hope,  from  her  buoy- 
ancy and  other  good  qualities,  we  should  be  enabled  to 


LIFE    OF    ADMIKAL    FAKKAGUT.  103 

weather  the  gale.  We  had  shipped  several  heavy  seas 
that  would  have  proved  destructive  to  almost  any  other 
ship  ;  but  to  us  they  were  attended  with  no  other  incon- 
veniences than  the  momentary  alarm  they  excited,  and 
that  arising  from  the  immense  quantity  of  water  which 
forced  its  way  into  every  part  of  the  vessel,  and  kept 
every  thing  afloat  between  decks.  However,  about  three 
o'clock  of  the  morning  of  the  3d,  the  watch  only  being  on 
deck,  an  enormous  sea  broke  over  the  ship,  and  for  ail 
instant  destroyed  every  hope.  Our  gun-deck  ports  were 
burst  in  ;  both  boats  on  the  quarters  stove  ;  our  spare  spars 
washed  from  the  chains  ;  our  head-rails  washed  away, 
hammock-stanchions  burst  in,  and  the  ship  perfectly 
deluged  and  water-logged  immediately  after  this  tre- 
mendous shock.  The  gale,  however,  soon  after  began  to 
abate,  and  in  the  morning  we  were  enabled  to  set  our 
reefed  foresail.  In  the  height  of  the  gale,  Lewis  Price, 
a  marine,  who  had  long  been  confined  with  a  pulmonary 
complaint,  departed  this  life,  and  was  this  morning  com- 
mitted to  the  deep  ;  but  the  violence  of  the  sea  was  such 
that  the  crew  could  not  be  permitted  to  come  on  deck  to 
attend  the  ceremony  of  his  burial,  as  their  weight  would 
have  strained  and  endangered  the  safety  of  the  ship. 

"  When  this  last  sea  broke  on  board  us,  one  of  tha 
prisoners,  the  boatswain  of  the  Nocton,  through  excess 
of  alarm  exclaimed  that  the  ship's  broadside  was  stove 
in,  and  that  she  was  sinking.  This  alarm  was  greath 


104  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

calculated  to  increase  the  fears  of  those  below,  who,  fronc 
the  immense  torrent  of  water  that  was  rushing  down  the 
hatchways,  had  reason  to  believe  the  truth  of  his  asser- 
tion. Many  who  were  washed  from  the  spar  to  the  gun- 
deck,  and  from  their  hammocks,  and  did  not  know  the 
extent  of  the  injury,  were  also  greatly  alarmed  ;  but  the 
men  at  the  wheel,  and  some  others,  who  were  enabled  by 
a  strong  grasp  to  keep  their  stations,  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  coolness  and  activity  after  the  shock.  I 
took  this  opportunity  of  advancing  them  one  grade,  by 
filling  up  the  vacancies  occasioned  by  those  sent  in  prizes 
and  those  who  were  left  at  St.  Catharine's  ;  rebuking,  at 
the  same  time,  the  others  for  their  timidity. 

"  And  now  we  began  to  hope  for  better  times,  for  the 
sky  became  serene,  and  we  were  enabled  to  make  sail ; 
the  wind  shifted  to  the  S.  W.,  and  brought  with  it  the  only 
pleasant  weather  we  had  experienced  since  we  passed  the 
Falkland  Islands.  Here  again  we  were  deceived,  for  be- 
fore night  it  began  to  blow  in  heavy  squalls,  with  cold  rain, 
and  reduced  us  to  close-reefed  fore  and  main  topsails,  and 
reefed  foresail.  But  as  the  wind  was  fair,  we  consoled 
ourselves  with  the  pleasing  reflection  that  we  were  every 
moment  receding  further  from  the  influence  of  the  dreary 
and  inhospitable  climate  of  Cape  Horn.  On  the  5th  of 
the  month,  having  passed  the  parallel  of  Chili,  our  suffer- 
ings appeared  at  an  end,  for  we  enjoyed  pleasant  and 
temperate  weather,  with  fine  breezes  from  the  southward  ; 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAREAGUT.  105 

and,  for  the  first  time  during  our  passage,  were  enabled 
to  knock  out  our  dead-lights,  and  open  our  gun-deck  ports. 
The  repairs  of  our  damages  went  on  rapidly,  and  by  night 
the  ship  was  in  every  respect,  excepting  wear  and  tear,  as 
well  prepared  for  active  service  as  the  day  we  left  St. 
Catharine's.  Our  latitude  at  meridian  was  39°  20'  south ; 
and  we  had  a  distant  view  of  part  of  the  Andes,  which 
appeared  covered  with  snow.  Albatrosses  were  as  usual 
about  the  ship  ;  several  fish,  by  sailors  denominated  sun- 
fish,  were  seen ;  and  we  frequently  passed  a  white  and 
apparently  gelatinous  substance,  which  we  had  not  an 
opportunity  of  examining.  There  was  every  prospect 
of  a  speedy  arrival  in  some  port  on  the  coast  of  Chili, 
and  I  directed  the  cables  to  be  bent,  using  every 
means  in  our  power  to  guard  them  from  the  effects  of 
rocky  bottom. 

"  The  health  of  the  crew  was  better  than  when  I  left 
the  United  States,  and  not  the  slightest  appearance  of 
scurvy  in  the  ship.  We  were  all  in  high  spirits,  and  in 
momentary  expectation  of  falling  in  with  some  of  the 
enemy's  ships.  It  was  my  intention  now  to  look  into 
Mocha,  a  small  uninhabited  island  on  the  coast  of  Chili, 
in  the  latitude  of  about  38°  15',  and  about  eight  leagues 
distant  from  the  coast.  This  place,  I  had  understood, 
was  a  resort  for  the  British  vessels  employed  in  smug- 
gling, and  in  the  Avhale  fishery  on  the  coast ;  and  from 

thence   I   intended   to   proceed    to   St.   Maria,   another 
5» 


106  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT. 

uninhabited  island  further  north,  also  frequented  by 
them.  From  those  vessels  I  hoped  to  be  enabled 
to  procure  such  provisions  and  other  supplies  as  we 
were  in  want  of,  and  thereby  render  our  going  into 
Conception  unnecessary,  as  I  was  desirous  of  doing  the 
enemy  as  much  injury  as  possible,  without  giving  any 
alarm  on  the  coast." 

On  the  morning  of  March  6th  the  seamen  saw, 
twenty  miles  away,  the  dark  outline  of  Mocha,  rising,  like 
an  Egyptian  pyramid  from  its  sea  of  yellow  sand,  above 
the  blue  main.  A  few  hours  later  the  frigate  anchored, 
and  the  boats  were  among  the  breakers.  With  spy-glasses 
animals  had  been  discovered,  and  the  men  were  all  ex- 
citement to  get  at  them  and  supply  the  exhausted  larder 
with  fresh  meat,  without  which,  that  scourge  of  sea-life, 
the  scurvy,  makes  sad  havoc.  The  boats  find  a  landing, 
and  "  crack !  crack !  "  go  the  muskets,  in  the  chase  after 
wild  hogs,  till,  at  dusk,  more  than  a  dozen  lie  in  the  small 
craft,  bound  for  the  Essex.  And  now  a  tragedy  occurred 
which  threw  a  deep  shadow  over  the  crew,  and  the  ac- 
count of  which  further  exhibits  the  fine  qualities  of  Capt. 
Porter's  character,  the  influence  of  which  was  very  great 
over  all  on  board,  but  especially  so  upon  the  "  young 
gentlemen,"  many  of  whom  were  taken  from  indulgent 
homes.  He  records  of  this  evening  hunt :  "  Seeing  a 
drove  of  horses  coming  along,  and  every  one  being  anx- 
ious to  fire,  and  feeling  apprehensive  of  some  accident, 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT  107 

I  directed  them  to  conceal  themselves  behind  the  boats 
that  were  hauled  on  the  beach,  and  not  to  fire  until  I  had 
fired,  intending  to  reserve  my  shot  till  they  had  got  a 
position  where  all  could  fire  without  the  least  danger  ol 
accident.  I  accordingly  fired,  and  was  succeeded  by  a 
Volley  ;  one  horse  was  crippled,  and  the  seamen  ran  for- 
ward with  clubs  to  knock  him  down.  They  already  had 
hold  of  him,  when  a  young  officer,  who  had  the  misfor- 
tune of  being  very  near-sighted  (and  who  had  reserved 
his  fire,  not  having  seen  the  drove),  ran  forward,  and 
seeing,  in  the  dark,  the  group  of  sailors  about  the  animal, 
supposed  it  to  be  the  horses,  and  fired.  Unhappily  the 
ball  passed  through  the  breast  of  James  Spafford,  the 
gunner's  mate,  one  of  the  best  and  most  trusty  men  in  my 
ship.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  express  what  were  my 
feelings,  when,  with  the  utmost  composure,  the  poor  fel- 
low, with  a  firm  voice,  said,  '  Sir,  you  have  shot  me !  I 
am  a  dying  man ;  take  me  to  the  boat.'  The  distress  of 
the  officer  on  the  occasion  was  beyond  description.  Dr. 
Hoffman  was  on  shore,  and  gave  us  but  little  hopes  of  his 
life,  as  the  ball  had  entered  his  right  breast,  and  came 
out  below  his  right  shoulder,  near  the  backbone.  A 
boat  was  immediately  sent  off  to  the  ship  with  him, 
accompanied  by  Dr.  Hoffman  and  the  officer  who  had 
so  unfortunately  been  the  cause  of  the  disaster ;  and  on 
my  arrival,  which  was  speedily  after  him,  I  found  him 
still  alive,  but  the  chief  surgeon,  Dr.  Miller,  could  give 


i08  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAI4RAGUT. 

me  no  reason  to  believe  that  he  would  recover.  H&d  it 
not  been  for  this  dreadful  accident  we  should  have  been 
much  delighted  with  our  excursion  on  shore,  as  it  had 
not  only  afforded  us  a  pleasant  recreation  after  our  exces- 
sive fatigues  at  sea,  but  had  enabled  us  to  extend  the 
benefits  of  it  to  the  whole  ship's  company,  as  we  had  been 
so  successful  as  to  procure  a  fresh  mess  for  all  hands. 
The  horse-meat,  however,  was  generally  preferred  to  the 
hogs,  it  being  much  fatter  and  more  tender ;  the  hogs 
proved  tough,  and  had  besides  (to  me)  an  unpleasant 
flavor,  though  I  heard  no  complaints  among  the  sailors 
on  that  subject,  as  their  stomachs  were  perhaps  less 
delicate. 

"  It  was  much  to  be  regretted  that  I  had  been  so  im- 
prudently indulgent  as  to  permit  so  many  to  take  muskets 
on  shore,  on  many  accounts ;  but  more  particularly  on 
account  of  the  accident  which  happened  to  poor  Spafford. 
The  constant  firing,  by  bad  marksmen,  in  every  direction, 
not  only  greatly  alarmed  the  horses  and  hogs,  but  made 
them  very  shy.  This  prevented  the  more  skilful  from 
having  an  opportunity  of  killing  them  ;  but  many  of  the 
poor  animals  were  wounded  in  different  parts  of  the  body, 
and  made  their  escape  with  the  blood  streaming  from 
their  wounds  ;  whereas  expert  marksmen  would  not  have 
fired  until  they  were  sure  of  shooting  them  through  some 
vital  part." 

Cruelty  is,  indeed,  a  crime.   There  is  no  nobler  animal 


L1FK  OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGtTT.  109 

than  the  horse,  and  none  is  more  abused  by  passionate, 
domineering  man.  The  voice  of  God  and  humanity  is, 
1 '  Blessed  are  the  merciful ! "  a  quality  which  has  alwayi 
graced  the  character  of  DAVID  GLASCOE  FARRAGUT 


CHAPTER  VHI. 

Sailing  In  the  Fog—  Valparaiso— A  glad  Sight— The  Welcome— -Novel  Scene*- 
An  expected  Battle— Life  in  Chili — Down  the  Coast — A  strange  Hermit- 
Ocean  Scenes — The  Sailor's  Punishment  and  Escape — Sail  ho! — A  briel 
Order— The  Tortoise— A  Tomb  and  Epitaph. 

^~~ym  cruising  ground  of  the  wide  Pacific  was  now 
"™  before  the  Essex.  A  "  sharp  lookout"  was 
kept  by  her  men  for  an  English  sail,  which,  it 
was  thought,  would  be  likely  to  pass  between 
Conception  and  Valparaiso.  But  a  heavy  fog 
curtained  the  frigate,  through  which  the  enemy  could  not 
be  seen  a  mile  distant,  but  through  it  the  roar  of  the 
dreaded  breakers  came,  whenever  the  vessel  approached 
the  highlands  of  the  coast.  "  On  the  latter  part  of  March 
12th  light  airs  sprang  up  from  the  southwest,  the  weather 
began  to  clear  off  slowly,  and  every  eye  was  engaged  in 
searching  for  a  sail,  as  the  fog  moved  to  leeward.  Noth- 
ing, however,  was  to  be  seen  but  a  wide  expanse  of 
ocean,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  dreary,  barren,  and 
irou-bound  coast  of  Chili,  at  the  back  of  which  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABBAGUT.  Ill 

eternally  snow-capped  mountains  of  the  Andes  reared 
their  lofty  heads,  and  altogether  presented  to  us  a  scene 
of  gloomy  solitude,  far  exceeding  any  thing  I  ever  before 
experienced.  No  vessels  of  any  description,  or  the  least 
trace  of  the  existence  of  a  human  being,  was  discovered 
on  the  coast,  except  in  one  instance,  when  a  fire  was 
lighted  in  the  evening  in  a  small  cove,  probably  by  some 
Indians,  or  persons  engaged  in  smuggling,  and  intended, 
no  doubt,  as  an  invitation  to  land." 

Rounding  a  bold  point  on  the  14th,  the  city  ol  Val- 
paraiso gladdened  the  sight  of  the  men  of  the  Essex  ;  the 
long  sandy  beach  ;  the  mountain-path  to  the  town,  along 
which  wound  a  drove  of  loaded  mules  ;  the  colors  of  the 
harbor-shipping  flying ;  the  grim  battery  guarding  it ;  all 
burst  upon  the  view  from  behind  a  mountain  of  rocks, 
spreading  a  murmur  of  delight  over  the  decks  of  the 
frigate.  The  cordial  welcome  from  the  £*uthorities  was 
unexpected  and  cheering,  the  people  having  shaken  off 
Spanish  rule  and  opened  their  ports  to  all  nations.  They 
desired  American  protection,  and  offered  every  friendly 
attention.  Soon  the  thunder  of  salutes  rolled  over  the 
harbor,  and  the  crew  rejoiced  in  the  prospect  of  touch- 
ing land  again  and  replenishing  their  stores.  Mr.  Poin- 
sett  was  then  our  consul-general  in  Chili,  and  messages 
were  immediately  sent  to  him. 

Many  of  the  Chilians  had  never  before  seen  a  frigate, 
and  stared  at  its  rows  of  ordnance,  while  numbers  of  the 


112  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

crew,  who  not  till  then  had  looked  upon  the  natives,  cu- 
riously watched  them.  Then  commenced  the  more  pleas- 
ing work  of  pouring  into  the  Essex  the  cartloads  of  fruit ; 
apples,  peaches,  nectarines,  melons,  and  vegetables  were 
heaped  up  until  there  was  no  more  room.  Pigs  and 
fowls  were  brought  in  droves  and  flocks  ;  when,  at  length, 
the  captain  found  they  would  crowd  his  men,  unless  he 
stopped  making  a  Noah's  ark  of  his  frigate,  and  so  he 
limited  the  number  of  the  former  to  less  than  two 
hundred. 

All  on  board  were  greatly  amused  by  the  uses  to 
which  the  hides  of  the  abundant  wild  cattle  are  applied ; 
and  you  will  not  wonder  when  you  know  that  "  the  most 
of  the  furniture  for  their  mules  and  horses,  and  their 
houses,  and,  on  some  parts  of  the  coast,  even  their  boats, 
or  (as  they  are  called)  balsas,  are  made  of  this  article. 
It  is  used  for  every  purpose  to  which  it  is  possible  to 
apply  it,  either  whole,  cut  in  pieces,  or  in  long  strips. 
When  used  for  balsas,  two  hides,  each  cut  something  in 
the  form  of  a  canoe,  with  the  seam  upward,  are  blown 
up  by  means  of  a  reed,  and  strapped  together ;  a  piece  of 
board  is  then  laid  across  to  sit  on,  and  on  this  frail  ma- 
chine they  venture  a  considerable  distance  to  sea.  The 
laque,  for  the  use  of  which  the  Chilians  are  so  famous, 
is  formed  of  a  very  long  strip  of  hide,  with  a  running 
noose  ;  and  their  dexterity  in  using  it,  in  catching  animals 
m  full  speed,  is  surprising.  Every  pack-horseman  and 


LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL   FAKBAGUT.  118 

driver  of  a  jackass  is  furnished  with  one  of  these ;  and 
so  much  do  they  delight  in  them,  or  in  showing  their  dex- 
terity, that  when  they  wish  to  catch  any  one  of  their 
drove,  either  to  load  or  unload,  or  for  any  other  purpose, 
they  take  their  distance,  deliberately  coil  up  their  laquc, 
and  never  fail  of  throwing  it  over  the  neck  of  the  animal 
wanted." 

Brilliant  parties  were  given  by  the  people  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Essex ;  and  in  regard  to  the  ladies,  the 
Yankee  gueete  thought  notwithstanding  the  paint  their 
"  features  were  agreeable,  and  their  large  dark  eyes  re- 
markably brilliant  and  expressive.  Were  it  not  for  their 
bad  teeth,  occasioned  by  the  too  liberal  use  of  the  matti, 
they  would,  notwithstanding  the  Chilian  tinge,  be  thought 
handsome,  particularly  by  those  who  had  been  so  long  as 
we  out  of  the  way  of  seeing  any  women." 

The  matti  is  a  decoction  of  the  herb  of  Paraguay, 
sweetened  with  sugar,  and  sucked  hot  through  a  long 
silver  tube.  To  the  use  of  this  beverage  the  Chilians  are 
perfect  slaves.  The  taste  is  pleasant,  but  it  makes  ter- 
rible havoc  with  the  teeth.  Tobacco  slaves  cannot  re- 
proach the  South  Americans  for  their  devotion  to  the 
matti ;  and  we  cannot  refrain  here  from  expressing  the 
hope  that  the  youthful  reader  sails  clear  of  both  rum-reefs, 
and  the  dirty  shoals  of  the  vile  weed,  where  health  and 
morals  are  often  impaired,  if  not  ruined. 

Suddenly  the  appearance  of  a  sail  interrupted  social 


114:  LIFE   OF    ADMERAL   FABBAGDT. 

enjoyments,  and  the  crew  hastened  to  their  stations,  and 
the  Chilians  to  the  hill-sides,  in  expectation  of  a  naval 
engagement.  But  the  Portuguese  colors  quickly  disap- 
pointed both  parties,  when  an  "  invitation  was  brought  to 
the  frigate  to  dine  and  spend  the  evening  with  the  gov- 
ernor, who,  it  was  seen  by  the  flags  about  the  battery  in 
front  of  his  house,  had  made  great  preparations  for  the 
occasion  ;  the  entertainment  was  given  by  the  order  and 
at  the  expense  of  the  superior  government  of  Chili.  The 
company  were  seated  in  an  extensive  tent,  handsomely 
and  fancifully  decorated  with  the  flags  of  different  nations, 
and  the  ground  covered  with  rich  carpets  ;  the  dinner  was 
served  up  in  silver  plate,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the 
blades  of  the  knives  alone,  no  other  metal  or  substance 
whatever  was  used  for  any  part  of  the  table  equipage. 
The  dinner  consisted  of  at  least  twenty  changes  ;  and  by 
the  time  the  third  course  had  been  removed,  the  guests 
had  cause  to  regret  that  they  had  not  reserved  their  appe- 
tites for  some  of  the  delicacies  which  we  perceived  were 
likely  to  succeed  the  substantial  food  of  the  first  course, 
with  which  the  keen  appetites  were  soon  cloyed.  The 
officers  of  the  Portuguese  ship,  and  some  English  mer- 
chants, were  also  at  table  ;  but  when  the  wine  began  to 
circulate,  and  the  Chilian  officers  to  feel  the  ardor  of  their 
patriotism,  such  flaming  toasts  were  given  as  to  make 
them  think  it  prudent  to  retire." 

These  retiring  officers  evidently  did  not  relish  the  com- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  115 

jliments  the  wine  gained  for  the  United  States.  The  next 
lay  the  Essex  weighed  anchor  for  the  "  high  seas." 

With  the  last  week  in  March  came  the  renewed 
shase  after  prizes  off  the  coast  of  Callao,  where  poor 
Spafford,  who  was  wounded  in  the  horse-hunt,  died,  and 
was  buried  in  the  deep  according  to  the  Episcopal  service, 
which,  always  impressive,  is  never  more  so  than  on  th« 
ocean. 

Two  curious  phenomena  were  witnessed  here — the 
lea  filled  with  craw-fish,  tinging  the  water  blood-red,  and 
in  other  places  covered  with  pelicans  and  various  aquatic 
birds,  beneath  whose  shadow  ran  schools  of  fish,  which, 
says  the  commander,  "  were  to  be  seen  in  great  numbers, 
constantly  pursued  by  seals,  bonetas,  and  porpoises ;  and 
euch  as  attempted  to  escape  their  ravenous  jaws  by  jump- 
ing out  of  the  water,  were  immediately  snapped  up  by 
the  innumerable  swarms  of  birdg  that  were  hovering  over 
them. 

"  On  our  arrival  off  Ajugia,  we  had  another  oppor- 
tunity of  witnessing  a  similar  scene ;  and  as  the  water 
was  perfectly  smooth  and  the  winds  light,  we  were  enabled 
to  examine  it  more  minutely.  We  discovered  the  sea 
boiling  violently  in  many  places  ;  and  wherever  this  was 
the  case,  vast  numbers  of  seals,  large  fish,  and  birds,  were 
apparently  in  pursuit  of  small  fish.  On  approaching  one 
of  these  places,  the  water  had  so  much  the  appearance  of 
having  been  put  into  action  by  violent  currents,  opposed 


116  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEEAGUT. 

by  sunken  rocks,  that  I  felt  some  uneasiness,  and  directed 
the  helm  to  be  put  a-weather  to  avoid  it ;  however,  the 
next  one  had  the  same  appearance,  and  was  equally  at- 
teoded  by  fish.  I  therefore  steered  close  to  it,  and  saw 
hat  in  the  centre  of  the  agitated  spot  (which  bore  the 
appearance  of  water  boiling  in  a  pot)  were  myriads  of 
small  fish,  collected  together,  and  appeared  as  though  it 
were  impossible  for  them  to  escape  from  this  violent 
whirlpool,  which  was  so  powerful  as  to  affect  consider- 
ably the  steerage  of  the  ship.  Whether  this  boiling  of 
the  water  was  occasioned  by  the  vast  numbers  of  seals 
and  large  fish  which  kept  constantly  darting  in  among 
the  small  fry,  which  were  drawn  as  it  were  to  a  focus,  I 
will  not  pretend  to  say.  It  is  possible,  however,  that 
whales,  or  some  fish  perhaps  nearly  as  large  as  whales, 
which  did  not  show  themselves  above  the  surface,  might 
also  have  been  concerned  in  the  pursuit,  and  occasioned 
the  agitation  that  so  much  surprised  us ;  for  I  cannot 
think  it  possible  that  the  seals  and  bonetas,  numerous  as 
Ihey  were,  could  have  produced  so  violent  a  commotion." 
The  Essex  sails  over  the  comparatively  tranquil  waters 
of  the  Pacific  toward  the  Gallipagos  Islands,  in  search  of 
English  whalers,  giving  the  "  young  gentlemen  "  an  ac- 
quaintance with  that  largest  kind  of  fishing.  To  many 
of  them,  the  first  view  of  a  ship  for  this  perilous  business., 
with  its  boats  for  harpooning,  its  try-kettles  for  separating 
the  oil  from  blubber,  the  tackle  which  holds  the  monster, 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARBAGUT.  117 

sometimes  nearly  a  hundred  feet  in  length,  to  the  side  of 
the  vessel  till  stripped  of  the  coating  of  fat,  was  a  new 
spectacle.  And  to  think  of  those  vessels  for  three  or  four 
years  in  distant  seas,  till  the  value  of  the  oil  has  reached 
often  more  than  $100,000,  when  the  crews  return  home 
to  find  both  pleasant  and  mournful  changes  in  their  dwell- 
ings, and  the  communities  around  them ! 

I  must  give  you  here  a  letter  found  in  the  harbor  of 
Charles'  Isla  d,  by  Lieutenant  Downes,  over  which  the 
people  of  the  Essex  had  a  laugh : 

June  14th,  1812. 

Ship  Sukey,  John  Macy  7£  Months  out  150  Barrels 
75  days  from  Lima  No  oil  Since  Leaving  that  Port. 
Spanyards  Very  Savage  Lost  on  the  Braziel  Bank  John 
Sealin  Apprentice  to  Capt  Benjamin  Worth  Fell  from 
the  fore  top  sail  Yard  In  A  Gale  of  Wind.  Left  Diana 
Capt  paddock  14  day  Since  250  Barrels  I  Leave  this 
port  this  Day  With  250  Turpen  8  Boat  Load  Wood  Yes- 
terday Went  Up  to  Patts  Landing  East  Side,  to  the 
Starboard  hand  of  the  Landing  1£  Miles  Saw  100  Tur- 
pen  20  Rods  A  part  Road  Very  Bad 

Yours  Forevir 

JOHN  MACY. 

There  is  a  strange,  and  though  in  low  life,  a  roman- 
tic story  alluded  to  in  this  epistle  which  does  not  speak 
well  ft  •  the  early  education  of  Captain  Macy,  affording 


118  UFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAJftRAGDT. 

you  another  glimpse  of  the  unwritten  history  of  many  • 
stray  representative  of  our  common  humanity,  in  the 
solitudes  of  land  and  sea. 

"  Lieutenant  Downes  saw  on  the  rocks  with  which  the 
bay  was  in  many  parts  skirted,  several  seals  and  pelicans, 
some  of  which  he  killed ;  but,  on  searching  diligently  the 
shore,  was  unable  to  find  any  land  tortoises,  though  they 
no  doubt  abound  in  other  parts  of  the  island.  Doves 
were  seen  in  great  numbers,  and  were  so  easily  ap- 
proached that  several  of  them  were  knocked  over  with 
stones.  While  our  boat  was  on  shore,  Captain  Randall 
sent  his  boat  to  a  small  beach  in  the  same  bay,  about  a 
mile  from  where  our  boat  landed,  and  in  a  short  time  she 
returned  loaded  with  fine  green  turtle,  two  of  which  he 
sent  us,  and  we  found  them  excellent.  It  may  be  seen  by 
Captain  Macy*s  letter,  that  on  the  east  side  of  the  island 
there  is  another  landing,  which  he  calls  Pat's  landing ; 
and  this  place  will  probably  immortalize  an  Irishman 
named  Patrick  Watkins,  who  some  years  since  left  an 
English  ship  and  took  up  his  abode  on  this  island,  and 
built  himself  a  miserable  hut,  about  a  mile  from  the  land- 
ing called  after  him,  in  a  valley  containing  about  two 
acres  of  ground  capable  of  cultivation,  and  perhaps  the 
only  spot  on  the  island  which  affords  sufficient  moisture 
for  the(  purpose.  Here  he  succeeded  in  raising  potatoes 
and  pumpkins  in  considerable  quantities,  which  he  gen- 
erally exchanged  for  rum,  or  sold  for  cash.  The  appear- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT.  119 

auoe  of  this  man,  from  the  aecounts  I  have  received  of 
him,  was  the  most  dreadful  that  can  be  imagined  ;  ragged 
clothes,  scarce  sufficient  to  cover  his  nakedness,  and  cov- 
ered with  vermin  ;  his  red  hair  and  beard  matted,  his 
skin  much  burnt  from  constant  exposure  to  the  sun,  and 
so  wild  and  savage  in  his  manner  and  appearance  that 
he  struck  every  one  with  horror.  For  several  years  this 
wretched  being  lived  by  himself  on  this  desolate  spot, 
without  any  apparent  desire  than  that  of  procuring  rum 
in  sufficient  quantities  to  keep  himself  intoxicated,  and, 
at  such  times,  after  an  absence  from  bis  hut  of  several 
days,  he  would  be  found  in  a  state  of  perfect  insensibility, 
rolling  among  the  rocks  of  the  mountains.  He  appeared 
to  be  reduced  to  the  lowest  grade  of  which  human  nature 
is  capable,  and  seemed  to  have  no  desire  beyond  the  tor- 
toises and  other  animals  of  the  island,  except  that  of  get- 
ting drunk.  But  this  man,  wretched  and  miserable  as  he 
may  have  appeared,  was  neither  destitute  of  ambition  nor 
incapable  of  undertaking  an  enterprise  that  would  have 
appalled  the  heart  of  any  other  man  ;  nor  was  he  devoid 
of  the  talent  of  rousing  others  to  second  his  hardihood. 

"  He  by  some  means  became  possessed  of  an  old 
musket,  and  a  few  charges  of  powder  and  ball ;  and  the 
possession  of  this  weapon,  probably  first  stimulated  his 
ambition.  He  felt  himself  strong  as  the  sovereign  of  the 
island,  and  was  desirous  of  proving  his  strength  on  the 
first  human  being  that  fell  in  his  way,  which  happened  to 


120  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEKAGTJT. 

be  a  negro,  who  was  left  in  charge  of  a  boat  belonging  to 
an  American  ship  that  had  touched  there  for  refresh- 
ments. Patrick  came  down  to  the  beach  where  the  boat 
lay,  armed  with  his  musket,  now  become  his  constant 
companion,  directed  the  negro,  in  an  authoritative  man- 
ner, to  follow  him,  and  on  his  refusal  snapped  his  musket 
at  him  twice,  which  luckily  missed  fire.  The  negro,  how- 
ever, became  intimidated,  and  followed  him.  Patrick 
now  shouldered  his  musket,  marched  off  before,  and  on 
his  way  up  the  mountains  exultingly  informed  the  negro 
that  he  was  henceforth  to  work  for  him,  and  become  his 
slave,  and  that  his  good  or  bad  treatment  would  depend 
on  his  future  conduct.  On  arriving  at  a  narrow  defile, 
and  perceiving  Patrick  off  his  guard,  the  negro  seized  the 
moment,  grasped  him  in  his  arms,  threw  him  down,  tied 
his  hands  behind,  shouldered  him,  and  carried  him  to  his 
boat,  and  when  the  crew  had  arrived  he  was  taken  on 
board  the  ship.  An  English  smuggler  was  lying  in  the 
harbor  at  the  same  time,  the  captain  of  which  sentenced 
Patrick  to  be  severely  whipped  on  board  both  vessels, 
which  was  put  in  execution,  and  he  was  afterwards  taken 
on  shore  handcuffed  by  the  Englishmen,  who  compelled 
him  to  make  known  where  he  had  concealed  the  few  dol- 
lars he  had  been  enabled  to  accumulate  from  the  sale  of 
his  potatoes  and  pumpkins,  which  they  took  from  him. 
But  while  they  were  busy  in  destroying  his  hut  and  gar- 
den the  wretched  being  made  his  escape,  and  concealed 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  121 

'himself  among  the  rocks  in  the  interior  of  the  island  un- 
til the  ship  had  sailed,  when  he  ventured  from  his  hiding-- 
place, and  by  means  of  an  old  file,  which  he  drove  into  a 
tree,  freed  himself  from  the  handcuffs.  He  now  medi- 
tated a  severe  revenge,  but  concealed  his  intentions.  Ves- 
sels continued  to  touch  there,  and  Patrick,  as  usual,  to 
furnish  them  with  vegetables  ;  but  from  time  to  time  he 
was  enabled,  by  administering  potent  draughts  of  his  dar- 
ling liquor  to  some  of  the  men  of  their  crews,  and  getting 
them  so  drunk  that  they  were  rendered  insensible,  to  con- 
ceal them  until  the  ship  had  sailed  ;  when,  finding  them- 
selves entirely  dependent  on  him,  they  willingly  enlisted 
under  his  banners,  became  his  slaves,  and  he  the  most 
absolute  of  tyrants.  By  this  means  he  had  augmented 
the  number  to  five,  including  himself,  and  every  means 
was  used  by  him  to  endeavor  to  procure  arms  for  them, 
but  without  effect.  It  is  supposed  that  his  object  was  to 
have  surprised  some  vessel,  massacre  her  crew,  and  take 
her  off.  While  Patrick  was  meditating  his  plans,  two 
ships,  an  American  and  an  English  vessel,  touched  there, 
and  applied  to  Patrick  for  vegetables.  He  promised 
them  the  greatest  abundance,  provided  they  would  send 
their  boats  to  his  landing,  and  their  people  to  bring  them 
from  his  garden,  informing  them  that  his  rascals  had  be- 
come so  indolent  of  late  that  he  could  not  get  them  to 
work.  This  arrangement  was  agreed  to  ;  two  boats  were 
sent  from  each  vessel  and  hauled  on  the  bead].  Their 
6 


122  LITE   OF    >T^MT»AT.   FABRAGUT. 

crews  all  went  to  Patrick's  habitation,  but  neither  he  nor 
any  of  his  people  were  to  be  fonnd ;  and,  after  waiting 
until  their  patience  was  exhausted,  they  returned  to  the 
beach,  where  they  found  only  the  wreck  of  three  of  their 
boats,  which  were  broken  to  pieces,  and  the  fourth  one 
missing.  They  succeeded,  however,  after  much  difficulty, 
in  getting  around  to  the  bay  opposite  to  their  ships,  where 
other  boats  were  sent  to  their  relief ;  and  the  commanders 
of  the  ships,  apprehensive  of  some  other  trick,  saw  no 
security  except  in  a  flight  from  the  island,  leaving  Patrick 
and  his  gang  in  quiet  possession  of  the  boat.  But  before 
they  sailed  they  put  a  letter  in  a  keg,  giving  intelligence 
of  the  affair,  and  moored  it  in  the  bay,  where  it  was 
found  by  Captain  Randall,  but  not  until  he  had  sent  his 
boat  to  Patrick's  landing  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  re- 
freshments ;  and,  as  may  be  easily  supposed,  he  felt  no 
little  inquietude  until  her  return,  when  she  brought  him  a 
letter  from  Patrick  to  the  following  purport,  which  was 
fojind  in  his  hut : 

"  *  SIR  :  I  have  made  repeated  applications  to  cap- 
tains of  vessels  to  sell  me  a  boat,  or  to  take  me  from  this 
place,  but  in  every  instance  met  with  a  refusal.  An  op- 
portunity presented  itself  to  possess  myself  of  one,  and  I 
took  advantage  of  it.  I  have  been  a  long  time  endeavor- 
ing, by  hard  labor  and  suffering,  to  accumulate  wherewith 
to  make  myself  comfortable  ;  but  at  different  times  hay* 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABBAQUT.  123 

been  robbed  and  maltreated,  and  in  a  late  instance  by 
Captain  Paddock,  whose  conduct  in  punishing  me,  and 
robbing  me  of  about  five  hundred  dollars  in  cash  and 
other  articles,  neither  agrees  with  the  principles  he  pro- 
fesses, nor  is  it  such  as  his  sleek  coat  would  lead  one  to 
expect.* 

"  «  On  the  29th  of  May,  1809, 1  sailed  from  the  en- 
chanted island  in  the  Black  Prince,  bound  to  the  Mar- 
quesas. 

"  *  Do  not  kill  the  old  hen ;  she  is  now  sitting,  and 
will  soom  have  chickens. 

"  '  (Signed)  FATHEBLESS  OBEBLUS.' 

"  Patrick  arrived  alone  at  Guyaquil  in  his  open  boat, 
the  rest  who  sailed  with  him  having  perished  for  want  of 
water,  or,  as  is  generally  supposed,  were  put  to  death 
by  him  on  his  finding  the  water  to  grow  scarce.  From 
thence  he  proceeded  to  Payta,  where  he  wound  himself 
into  the  affection  of  a  tawny  damsel,  and  prevailed  on 
her  to  consent  to  accompany  him  back  to  his  enchanted 
island,  the  beauties  of  which  he  no  doubt  painted  in  glow- 
ing colors ;  but,  from  his  savage  appearance,  he  was 
there  considered  by  the  police  as  a  suspicious  person,  and 
being  found  under  the  keel  of  a  small  vessel  then  ready 
to  be  launched,  and  suspected  of  some  improper  inten« 

*  Captain  Paddock  waa  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 


124  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

tions,  he  was  confined  in  Payta  gaol,  where  he  now  re- 
mains ;  and  probably  owing  to  this  circumstance  Charles' 
Island,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  Gallipagos,  may  remain 
unpopulated  for  many  ages  to  come.  This  reflection  may 
naturally  lead  us  to  a  consideration  of  the  question  con- 
cerning the  population  of  the  other  islands  scattered  about 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  respecting  which  so  many  conjectured 
have  been  hazarded.  I  shall  only  hazard  one,  which  is 
briefly  this :  that  former  ages  may  have  produced  men 
equally  as  bold  and  as  daring  as  Pat,  and  women  as 
willing  as  his  fair  one  to  accompany  them  in  their  adven- 
turous voyages.  And  when  we  consider  the  issue  which 
might  be  produced  from  a  union  between  a  red-haired  wild 
Irishman  and  a  copper-colored  mixed-blooded  squaw,  we 
need  not  be  any  longer  surprised  at  the  different  varieties 
in  human  nature. 

"  If  Patrick  should  be  liberated  from  durance,  and 
arrive  with  his  love  at  this  enchanting  spot,  perhaps 
(when  neither  he  nor  the  Gallipagos  are  any  longer  re- 
membered) some  future  navigator  may  surprise  the  world 
by  a  discovery  of  them,  and  his  accounts  of  the  strange 
people  with  which  they  may  probably  be  inhabited. 
Fron?  the  source  from  which  they  shall  have  sprung, 
it  does  not  seem  unlikely  that  they  will  have  one  trait 
in  their  character  which  is  common  to  the  natives  of  all 
the  islands  in  the  Pacific,  a  disposition  to  appropriate  to 
themselves  the  property  of  others.  From  this  circuin- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGDT.  125 

itance,  future  speculators  may  confound  thsir  origin  with 
that  of  all  the  rest." 

Ahout  and  on  these  islands,  hesides  guanas,  hugo 
xjrtoises,  and  seals,  were  also  enormous  sharks,  which 
frightened  the  crew  by  swimming  around  the  boats  in 
which  the  men  were  now  rowing,  snapping  at  the  oars 
and  threatening  to  tear  the  thin  plank  from  the  timbers, 
and  leave  the  inmates  of  the  frail  bark  in  the  water, 
where  the  ferocious  attendants  would  enjoy  the  banquet 
thus  unceremoniously  spread. 

April  23d  the  Essex  was  a  novel  spectacle.  She 
had  turned  the  point  of  Narborough,  expecting  to  come 
in  sight  of  prizes  ;  and,  so  great  was  the  anxiety  for  the 
excitement  and  the  results  of  a  chase,  or  even  a  fight, 
that  the  officers  and  men,  down  to  the  boys,  hung  in 
every  part  of  the  rigging  like  gigantic  spiders  in  a  great 
white  web,  watching  for  a  speck  of  canvas.  Suddenly 
the  cry  of  "  Sail,  ho  ! "  and  then  another,  made  the  Essex 
a  hive  of  busy  workers  in  the  preparation  for  a  hunt  or 
battle.  But  how  illusory  are  human  anticipations !  Not 
fleecy  clouds,  but  snowy  appearances  of  the  shore  in  the 
distance,  had  deceived  them,  and  onward,  as  if  sullenly 
watching  for  realities,  the  frigate  ploughed  her  way  through 
the  undulating  deep.  A  landing  was  made.  Here  is  what 
the  captain  says  of  Narborough  and  its  sailor-hermit: 
"  The  whole  island  is  a  light  and  thirsty  soil,  composed 
entirely  of  volcanic  matter,  and  probably  owes  its  origir 


126  LIFE  OF   ADMIRAL   FABRAGUT. 

to  no  distant  period,  for  the  volcanic  cinders  and  other 
appearances  lying  on  every  part  of  the  surface,  as  well 
as  the  innumerable  craters  and  hills  composed  of  ashes 
and  lava,  all  apparently  fresh,  and  in  most  parts  destitute 
of  verdure,  sufficiently  prove  that  they  have  not  long  been 
thrown  from  the  bowels  of  the  ocean.  These  thirsty 
mountains,  like  a  sponge,  soak  from  the  passing  clouds 
the  moisture,  which  serves  to  keep  alive  the  scanty  vege- 
tation scattered  over  their  sides,  but  they  permit  none  of 
it  to  escape  in  springs  or  streams  of  water  for  the  sup- 
port of  animal  life.  On  the  side  of  a  rock  at  this  water- 
ing-place we  found  the  names  of  several  English  and 
American  ships  cut,  whose  crews  had  been  there ;  and 
but  a  short  distance  from  thence  was  erected  a  hut,  built 
of  loose  stones,  but  destitute  of  a  roof.  In  the  neighbor- 
hood of  it  were  scattered  in  considerable  quantities  the 
bones  and  shells  of  land  and  sea  tortoises.  This  I  after- 
wards understood  was  the  work  of  a  wretched  English 
sailor  who  had  been  landed  there  by  his  captain,  destitute 
of  every  thing,  for  having  used  some  insulting  language  to 
him.  Here  he  existed  near  a  year  on  land  tortoises  and 
guanas,  and  his  sole  dependence  for  water  was  on  the 
precarious  supply  he  could  get  from  the  drippings  of  the 
rocks ;  at  length,  finding  that  no  one  was  likely  to  come 
to  take  him  from  thence,  and  fearful  of  perishing  for  the 
want  of  water,  he  formed  a  determination  to  attempt  at 
all  hazards  getting  into  Banks'  Bay,  where  the  ships 


LIFE   OF    ATYMTRAT,   FABBAGDT.  127 

•ruise  for  whales.  With  this  view  he  provided  himself 
with  two  seal  skins,  with  which,  blown  up,  he  formed  a 
float ;  and,  after  hazarding  destruction  from  the  sharks, 
which  frequently  attacked  his  vessel,  and  which  he  kepi 
off  with  the  stick  that  served  him  as  a  paddle,  he  suc- 
ceeded at  length  in  getting  alongside  an  American  ship 
early  in  the  morning,  where  his  unexpected  arrival  not 
only  surprised  but  alarmed  the  crew.  His  appearance 
was  scarcely  human,  clothed  in  the  skins  of  seals,  hi* 
countenance  haggard,  thin,  and  emaciated,  his  beard  and 
hair  long  and  matted,  they  supposed  him  a  being  from 
another  world.  The  commander  of  the  vessel  where  he 
arrived  felt  a  great  sympathy  for  his  sufferings,  and  de- 
termined for  the  moment  to  bring  to  punishment  the  vil- 
lain who  had,  by  thus  cruelly  exposing  the  life  of  a  fel- 
low-being, violated  every  principle  of  humanity.**  Great 
amusement  was  here  afforded  the  men  in  taking  the 
variety  of  fine  fish,  among  which  was  an  *'  enormous 
sea-lion"  secured — sport,  the  record  of  which  will  make 
the  fingers  of  some  of  my  readers  tingle. 

April  28th,  1813,  just  as  the  east  glowed  with  the 
promise  of  a  beautiful  day,  to  the  cot  of  the  heroic  com- 
mander, where  he  had  "  passed  a  sleepless  and  anxious 
night,"  came  the  welcome  cry  again :  "  Sail,  ho !  Sail, 
ho  1 "  which  was  reechoed  through  the  Essex  with  a  will. 
Then  she  is  in  harness  for  the  chase,  and  hour  after  hour 
pursues  the  British  whaler,  which  at  nine  o'clock  is  over- 


128  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGDT. 

taken  and  soon  captured.  Before  sundown  two  more 
graced  the  train  of  the  frigate,  boarded  and  taken  by  men 
in  open  boats,  and  altogether  worth  $500,000.  And  here 
we  have,  in  the  commander's  words,  a  fine  improvement 
of  late  experiences,  valuable  to  all  young  people : 

"  The  ease  with  which  the  last  vessels  were  taken  by 
our  open  boats  gave  us  but  a  poor  opinion  of  British 
valor ;  and  the  satisfaction  which  the  possession  of  these 
valuable  vessels  gave  us,  made  us  forget  for  a  moment 
the  hardships  of  Cape  Horn,  and  the  time  we  had  spent 
without  seeing  an  enemy.  It  also  afforded  us  a  useful 
lesson,  as  it  convinced  us  we  ought  not  to  despair  of 
success  under  any  circumstances,  however  unfortunate 
they  may  appear ;  and  that,  although  the  patient  and 
persevering  may  for  a  time  meet  with  disappointments, 
Providence  will  at  length  give  the  reward.  Slight 
murmurings  had  on  one  or  two  occasions  been  heard 
from  some  of  the  crew,  occasioned  by  our  want  of  success 
heretofore  ;  and  with  a  view  of  preventing  it  in  future,  I 
considered  it  advisable  to  inculcate  this  maxim  by  the 
following  note : 

"  '  April  30,  1813. 

"  '  SAILORS  AND  MARINES  :  Fortune  has  at  length 
smiled  on  us,  because  we  deserved  her  smiles,  and  the 
first  time  she  enabled  us  to  display  free  trade  and  sailors' 
rights,  assisted  by  your  good  conduct,  she  put  in  our  pos- 
near  half  a  million  of  the  enemy's  property. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT. 

•*  *  t  'ontinue  to  be  zealous,  enterprising,  and  patient, 
and  we  will  yet  render  the  name  of  the  Essex  as  terrible 
to  the  enemy  as  that  of  any  other  vessel,  before  we  return 
to  the  United  States.  My  plans  shall  be  made  known  to 
you  at  a  suitable  period. 

"  «  (Signed)  D.  PORTBB."* 

He  also  describes  the  "elephant  tortoise,"  peculiar 
to  tliis  latitude,  weighing  sometimes  three  hundred  pounds. 
He  walks  a  foot  from  the  ground,  with  a  heavy  motion  like 
the  animal  after  which  he  is  named.  "  The  neck  of  the  tor- 
toise is  from  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  in  length,  and 
very  slender  ;  their  head  is  proportioned  to  it,  and  strongly 
resembles  that  of  a  serpent.  But,  hideous  and  disgusting 
as  is  their  appearance,  no  animal  can  possibly  afford  a 
more  wholesome,  luscious,  and  delicate  food  than  they  do ; 
the  finest  green  turtle  is  no  more  to  be  compared  to  them 
in  point  of  excellence,  than  the  coarest  beef  is  to  the 
finest  veal ;  and  after  once  tasting  the  Gallipagos  tortoises, 
every  other  animal  food  fell  greatly  in  our  estimation. 
These  animals  are  so  fat  as  to  require  neither  butter  nor 
lard  to  cook  them,  and  this  fat  does  not  possess  that 
cloying  quality  common  to  that  of  most  other  animals. 
When  tried  out,  it  furnishes  an  oil  superior  in  taste  to  that 
of  the  olive.  The  meat  of  this  animal  is  the  easiest  of 
digestion  ;  and  a  quantity  of  it,  exceeding  that  of  any  other 
food,  can  be  eaten  without  experiencing  the  slightest  in- 
6* 


130  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

convenience.  But  what  seems  the  most  extraordinary  in 
this  animal,  is  the  length  of  time  that  it  can  exist  without 
food ;  for  I  have  been  well  assured  that  they  have  been 
piled  away  among  the  casks  in  the  hold  of  a  ship,  where 
they  have  been  kept  eighteen  months,  and  when  killed  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time,  were  found  to  have  suffered 
no  diminution  in  fatness  or  excellence.  They  carry  with 
them  a  constant  supply  of  water,  in  a  bag  at  the  root  of 
the  neck,  which  contains  about  two  gallons,  and  on  tasting 
that  found  in  those  we  killed  on  board,  it  proved  perfectly 
fresh  and  sweet.  They  are  very  restless  when  exposed 
to  the  light  and  heat  of  the  sun,  but  will  lie  in  the  dark 
from  one  year's  end  to  the  other  without  moving.  In  the 
daytime  they  appear  remarkably  quick-sighted  and  timid, 
drawing  their  head  into  their  shell  on  the  slightest  motion 
of  any  object,  but  they  are  entirely  destitute  of  hearing, 
as  the  loudest  noise,  even  the  firing  of  a  gun,  does  not 
Beem  to  alarm  them  in  the  slightest  degree,  and  at  night, 
or  in  the  dark,  they  appear  perfectly  blind.  After  our 
tasting  the  flesh  of  those  animals  we  regretted  that 
numbers  of  them  had  been  thrown  overboard  by  the 
crews  of  the  vessels  before  their  capture,  to  clear  them 
for  action.  A  few  days  afterwards,  at  daylight  in  the 
morning,  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  find  ourselves  sur- 
rounded by  about  fifty  of  them,  which  were  picked  up  and 
brought  on  board." 

Water  became  the  great  want,  and  the  islands  were 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  131 

searched  for  a  spring,  or  the  cavity  of  a  rock  filled  with 
God's  provision  for  thirst,  more  djesired  and  refreshing 
than  all  the  wine  of  Chili.  The  fatiguing  exploration  was 
rewarded  with  a  partial  supply,  brought  over  sharp  stones 
and  through  hedges  of  thorns.  How  the  loss  of  bless- 
ings so  common  enhances  their  value  ! 

The  prizes  were  painted  up,  and  the  little  fleet  got 
ready  for  proceeding  on  her  cruise.  The  Essex  changed 
her  color  nearly  as  readily  as  the  Chameleon,  to  avoid 
recognition  by  any  who  saw  her  in  a  particular  dress. 
One  of  the  last  sights  on  Charles'  Island  was  a  solitary 
tomb.  Five  years  before  a  seaman  had  been  buried 
there,  and  at  the  grave's  head  a  white  board  with  a 
neatly-engraved  epitaph,  which,  adds  Captain  Porter,  u  I 
give  more  on  account  of  the  extreme  simplicity  of  the 
verse,  and  its  powerful  and  flattering  appeal  to  the  feel- 
ings, than  for  its  elegance  or  tha  correctness  of  the  com- 
position : 

" '  Gentle  reader,  as  you  pass  by 

As  you  are  now,  so  wonce  was  I ; 
As  now  my  body  is  in  the  dust, 
I  hope  in  heaven  my  soul  to  rest* 

u  The  spot  where  his  remains  were  deposited  was 
shaded  by  two  lofty  thorn-bushes,  which  afforded  an 
agreeable  shade  and  fragrance,  and  became  the  favorite 
resort  of  our  men  at  their  meals."  How  lonely  is  such  a 
resting-place,  yet  under  the  ever  watchful  eye  of  Him 
who  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps  1 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  new  Prize — The  Englishmen  Scold— List  of  the  Cftptured  Vessels— Volo&oto 
Exhibition— Enchanted  Island— Dead  Man's  Island— A  Sad  Burial— The 
"  Young  Gentlemen  "  Promoted — Essex  Junior — Prizes — James'  Island — A 
Duel— Off  for  the  Washington  Islands— Achievements  in  the  Pacific. 

)N  the  29th  of  May  "  Sail,  ho!"  was  heard 
again ;  directly  ahead  was  a  stranger,  imme- 
diately pursued  by  the  Essex.  Darkness  ended 
the  chase  till  morning,  when  it  was  renewed, 
and  the  armed  vessel  surrendered  upon  demand 
by  Captain  Porter.  She  proved  to  be  the  British  letter-of- 
marque  ship  Atlantic,  mounting  six  guns,  a  fast-sailing 
vessel,  which  made  afterwards  quite  a  figure  in  the  growing 
prise  fleet.  Scarcely  had  she  been  secured  before  another 
similar  ship  was  discovered,  which,  upon  being  approach- 
ed, refused  to  surrender,  till  a  shot  flew  through  the  dark- 
ness, between  the  masts.  This  was  the  Greenwich,  an 
American,  sailing  under  English  colors.  When  Captain 
Porter  inquired  how  he  could  sail  under  the  British  flag 
while  his  country  was  engaged  in  war,  he  betrayed  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  133 

same  craven  spirit  we  have  had  to  meet  in  the  late  rebel- 
lion ;  saying,  "  He  found  no  difficulty  in  jfeconciling  it  to 
himself,  for,  although  he  was  born  in  America,  he  waa 
an  Englishman  at  heart."  The  captive  captains  flew  into 
a  passion,  cursing  the  Government  of  the  United  States, 
and  their  ill-luck. 

These  prizes  were  especially  precious  on  account  of 
their  supply  of  water  and  various  stores,  which  came  in 
the  time  of  greatest  need.  The  men  of  the  Essex  bravely 
volunteered  to  go  on  board  the  captured  ships,  even  to  the 
midshipmen,  until  the  fleet  was  manned,  and  sailed  aa 
follows : 

The  Essex,  mounting  46  guns,  and  245  men, 


Georgiana,  " 

16      " 

"      42 

Atlantic,      " 

6      " 

"      12 

Greenwich,  " 

10      " 

"      14 

Montezuma,  " 

2      " 

"      10 

Policy, 

— 

10 

Making  in  all, 

80  guns, 

883 

The  prisoners  swelled  the  number  to  420  men. 

It  is  a  great  compliment  to  the  Essex,  that  among 
these  desolate  islands,  while  English  sailors  were  con» 
tinually  deserting  from  the  tyranny  of  their  vessels,  not 
one  attempted  to  leave  the  humane  commander  of  the 
frigate. 

In  the  afternoon  of  June  6th,  records  Captain  Porter, 
"  We  saw  a  thick  column  of  smoke  rising  rapidly  as  from 


134  LBFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABRAGUT. 

its  centre,  ascending  to  a  great  height  in  the  air,  where  it 
spread  off  in  large  white  curls,  and  presented  us  a  grand 
and  majestic  spectacle.  We  soon  discovered  that  one  of 
the  numerous  volcanoes  had  burst  forth,  but  there  were 
numerous  opinions  as  to  its  situation.  Some  supposed  it 
to  be  ea  Narborough,  others  to  the  east  of  Narborough, 
and  on  the  Island  of  Albemarle.  I  was  of  the  latter 
opinion,  which  was  confirmed  next  day  when  we  had 
changed  our  position.  At  night  the  whole  atmosphere  was 
illuminated  by  it,  and  yet  we  could  perceive  neither  flames 
nor  sparks  thrown  out  by  the  crater.  The  winds  now 
began  to  freshen  from  the  southeast,  and  gave  us  at 
length  some  hope  of  getting  from  those  islands,  wh^re  we 
had  been  so  long  and  unexpectedly  delayed  by  cakns  and 
currents.  The  Spaniards  call  them  the  Enchanted  Islands, 
probably  from  the  great  difficulty  vessels  have  found  in 
getting  from  among  them.  The  title  seems  well  applied, 
and  is  such  a  one  as  I  should  have  felt  disposed  to  give 
them,  had  they  been  destitute  of  a  name.  We  have  been 
aince  the  18th  of  April  among  them,  and  the  greatest  part 
of  the  time  making  every  effort  in  our  power  to  escape." 
On  the  19th  the  Essex  was  off  St.  Close,  or  Dead 
Man's  Island,  which  you  will  find  on  the  map  in  the  Bay 
of  Guyaquil,  receiving  its  name  from  its  resemblance  to 
a  corpse,  the  head  lying  toward  the  west,  and  is  as  deso- 
late as  a  tomb.  Here  the  "  best  seaman  on  the  ship," 
John  Rodgers,  while  "  somewhat  inebriated,"  fell  from 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  135 

the  mainyard  headforemost  upon  the  deck,  and  shattered 
his  skull,  killing  him  instantly — another  victim  of  rum, 
which  has  laid  in  the  dust  of  shame  and  death  many  of 
the  noblest  men  of  all  lands.  On  Dead  Man's  Island  the 
crew  buried  poor  Rodgers,  the  prince  of  the  frigate's  gun- 
ners, with  a  simple  epitaph  on  the  head-board  expressing 
*he  kindly  respect  of  his  comrades : 

Entombed  here 

The  body  of  JOHN  RODGERS,  seaman,  who  departed  this  life 
June  19th,  1813,  aged  32  years. 

Without  a  sigh 
He  bid  this  world  adieu ; 

Without  one  pang 
His  fleeting  spirit  flew. 

Look  away  to  that  village  of  reed-houses,  called 
Tumbez,  for  a  view  entirely  new,  certainly  to  David, 
and  a  contrast  not  unfrequently  presented  in  pagan  and 
tropical  countries.  The  rich  soil  is  covered  with  cocoa, 
melons,  oranges,  sugar-cane,  and  sweet  potatoes,  and  the 
verdure  glows  with  perpetual  summer.  But  you  see  that 
the  frail  habitations  are  elevated  by  posts  some  distance 
above  the  ground,  to  keep  out  the  monstrous  alligator* 
creeping  around  them. 

We  come  now  to  a  new  and  important  step  in  the 
line  of  promotion  to  posts  of  responsibility,  for  Farragut. 
The  losses  by  death,  and  the  number  of  prizes,  made 
additional  officers  necessary.  Captain  Porter,  therefore, 
selected  from  the  younger  class  of  the  ''middies"  the 


136  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

reliable  boys,  to  be  the  nominally  prize  masters,  with 
able  seamen  around  them.  Our  hero,  then  twelve  years 
of  age,  might  hare  been  called  the  "little  captain." 
Meanwhile,  the  decks  of  the  Essex  rang  with  cheers,  as 
Lieutenant  Downes,  who  had  been  away  upon  a  cruise 
of  his  own,  returned  with  three  prize  vessels,  some  of 
which  were  taken  after  a  brisk  cannonading,  reddening 
them  with  the  blood  of  the  killed  and  wounded.  These 
captures  increased  the  fleet  to  nine  ships,  and  a  new  order 
of  things  was  inaugurated.  The  Atlantic,  of  which  you 
already  know  something,  and  will  yet  learn  much  more, 
because  the  best  vessel  excepting  the  Essex,  was  named 
the  Essex  Junior,  with  a  crew  of  sixty  men,  and  Mid- 
shipman Dashiel  placed  in  command.  She  was  to  be 
henceforth  also  a  cruiser.  July  Fourth !  the  glorious 
anniversary — the  36th — dawned  upon  land  and  sea,  both 
marked  by  our  struggle  with  England  to  be  free  I  And 
hark !  how  the  thunders  of  ordnance  roll  out  from  the 
little  fleet;  the  smoke  curtains  it,  and  almost  hides  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  fluttering  in  the  breeze  of  the  torrid 
zone,  while  under  their  glory,  shouts  arise  from  all  but  the 
prisoners  of  war. 

July  12th  the  Essex  pursued  and  took  the  piratical 
Seringapatam,  a  success  which  gave  peculiar  rejoicing 
to  the  Yankee  captors.  The  ship  was  built  in  India  for 
Tippoo  Saib,  and  was  easily  made  a  formidable  fighter, 
mounting  twenty-two  guns. 


LIFE   OF   ADMERAL   FAKRAGUT.  137 

The  fleet  anchored  August  5th  in  the  bay  between 
James  Island  and  Albemarle.  A  curious  and  amusing  scene 
gooa  follows :  The  seamen  dot  the  rigging  and  line  the 
sides  of  the  vessels,  trimming  and  painting ;  while  others 
are  continually  going  and  coming  with  boats,  engaged  in 
the  tortoise  hunt.  See  that  boat  with  thirty  large  serpent- 
like  heads  lifted  from  its  bottom  approach  the  ship's  side, 
and  then  the  awkward  prisoners  tumbled  on  board  without 
ceremony,  till  fourteen  tons  are  safely  stowed  away.  No 
water  or  food  is  needed  by  them  for  a  year. 

The  commander,  and  Chaplain  Adams,  rambled  over 
Charles'  Island  beneath  the  verdant  mangroves,  observing 
the  interesting  objects  described  by  Captain  Calmet,  who 
made  the  first  map  of  the  island.  He  says : 

"  At  every  place  where  we  landed  on  the  western  side, 
we  might  have  walked  for  miles  through  long  grass,  and 
beneath  groves  of  trees.  It  only  wanted  a  stream  to 
compose  a  very  charming  landscape.  This  isle  appears 
to  have  been  a  favorite  resort  of  the  buccaneers,  as  we 
not  only  found  seats  which  had  been  made  by  them  of 
earth  and  stone,  but  a  considerable  number  of  broken 
jars  scattered  about,  and  some  entirely  whole,  in  which 
the  Peruvian  wine  and  liquors  of  that  country  are  pre- 
served. We  also  found  some  old  daggers,  nails,  and 
other  implements.  This  place  is,  in  every  respect,  cal- 
culated for  refreshment  or  relief  for  crews,  after  a  long 
and  tedious  voyage,  as  it  abounds  with  wood  and  good 


138  LIFE   OF    ATlMTRAT.   FABRAGUT. 

anchorage  for  any  number  of  ships,  and  sheltered  from 
all  winds  by  Albemarle  Isle.  The  watering-place  of  the 
buccaneers  was  entirely  dried  up,  and  there  was  only 
found  a  small  rivulet  between  two  hills,  running  into  the 
•ea ;  the  northernmost  hill  forms  the  south  point  of  Fresh- 
water Bay." 

A  duel  at  sea !  how  strangely  sound  the  words.  I 
will  let  the  humane  and  sorrowful  officer  of  the  Essex 
tell  the  brief  and  mournful  story :  "I  have  now  the  pain- 
ful task  of  mentioning  an  occurrence  which  gave  me  the 
utmost  pain,  as  it  was  attended  by  the  premature  death 
of  a  promising  young  officer,  whereby  the  service  at  this 
time  has  received  an  irreparable  injury,  and  by  a  practice 
which  disgraces  human  nature.  I  shall,  however,  throw 
a  veil  over  the  whole  previous  proceedings,  and  merely 
state  that  without  my  knowledge  the  parties  met  on  shore 
at  daylight,  and  at  the  third  fire  Mr.  Cowan  fell  dead. 
His  remains  were  buried  the  same  day  in  the  spot  wh^re 
he  fell,  and  the  following  inscription  was  placed  over  hit 

tomb: 

Sacred  to  the  memory 

OF  LIEUT.  JOHN  S.  COWAN, 
Of  the  U.  S.  Frigate  Essex, 
Who  died  here  anno  1818, 
Aged  21  years. 

His  loss  is  ever  to  be  regretted 

By  his  country ; 

And  mourned  by  his  friends 

And  brother  officers. 


LIFE  OF   ADMIRAL   FAEBAGUT.  139 

'*  Having  entirely  changed  the  appearance  of  the  ship, 
so  that  she  could  not  be  known  from  description,  or  taken 
for  a  frigate  at  a  short  distance ;  having  made  all  the  re- 
pairs which  our  sails,  rigging,  boats,  etc.,  required,  I 
buried  a  letter  for  Lieutenant  Downes,  in  a  bottle  at  the 
head  of  Mr.  Cowan's  grave,  and  a  duplicate  of  the  same 
at  the  foot  of  a  finger-post,  erected  by  me,  for  the  purpose 
of  pointing  out  to  such  as  may  hereafter  visit  the  island 
the  grave  of  Mr.  Cowan." 

This  tragedy  was  followed  by  another  that  threw  the 
people  of  the  Essex  into  a  state  of  considerable  excite- 
ment. Rynard,  a  quartermaster,  and  a  selfish,  ambitious 
officer,  who  was  always  at  the  head  of  complaining  com- 
panies of  the  seamen  when  any  were  to  be  found,  was 
evidently  inclined  to  get  up  a  mutiny.  He  was  put  in 
irons,  then  sent  to  the  Seringapatam  to  be  set  ashore. 
The  removal  of  this  turbulent  spirit  restored  quiet  and 
order,  both  enforcing  the  truth  that  "  one  sinner  destroy- 
eth  much  good,"  and  also  forming  a  perfect  contrast  in 
character  and  career,  with  the  Catalonian  boy. 

Captain  Porter  thus  sums  up  the  achievements  to  this 
date,  the  very  last  days  of  August,  1813,  of  the  Essex : 
"  And  now  I  shall  notice  the  important  services  rendered 
by  our  coming  into  the  Pacific.  In  the  first  place,  by  our 
captures  we  had  completely  broken  up  that  important 
branch  of  British  navigation,  the  whale-fishery  of  the 
coast  of  Chili  and  Peru,  having  captured  all  their  vessels 


140  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAREAGUT. 

engaged  in  that  pursuit  except  the  ship  Comet.  By  these 
captures  we  had  deprived  the  enemy  of  property  to  the 
amount  of  two  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars,  and  of  the 
services  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  seamen  that  I  liber- 
ated on  parole,  not  to  serve  against  the  United  States  un- 
til regularly  exchanged.  We  had  effectually  prevented 
them  from  doing  any  injury  to  our  own  whale-ships,  only 
two  of  which  have  been  captured,  and  their  captures  took 
place  before  our  arrival.  Shortly  after  my  appearance  in 
those  seas,  our  whale-ships,  which  had  taken  refuge  at 
Conception  and  Valparaiso,  boldly  ventured  to  sea  in  pur 
suit  of  whales.  On  the  arrival  of  the  Essex  Junior  at 
Valparaiso,  four  of  them  had  returned  there  with  full  car- 
goes, and  were  waiting  for  a  convoy  to  protect  them  some 
distance  from  the  coast,  that  they  might  be  enabled  to 
take  advantage  of  the  winter  season  for  getting  into  a 
port  of  the  United  States.  This  protection  Lieutenant 
Downes  was  enabled  to  afford  them  on  his  departure 
thence ;  and  the  four  ships  lying  there,  as  well  as  my 
prize,  the  Policy,  sailed  in  company  with  him  until  he 
had  seen  them  a  sufficient  distance  beyond  the  usual 
cruising  ground  of  British  armed  ships." 

What  a  strange,  exciting  life  for  a  boy  !  The  chang- 
ing scenes  of  the  vast  ocean,  the  lookout  for  an  enemy, 
the  chase,  the  battle  often,  the  gloomily  wild  and  then 
the  enchanting  coasts  and  islands  of  the  tropics,  all  ren- 
dered the  experience  remarkable,  and  one  rarely  enjoyed 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  141 

at  any  age.     I  hear  young  voices  exclaim,  "  I  should  like 
to  have  such  a  voyage." 

There  is  another  side  to  the  mariner's  life  ;  exposure, 
deprivation,  and  perils.  Home,  mother,  sister,  social  and 
Sabbath  associations,  are  not  there.  But  more  than  this : 
to  be  where  you  can  the  best  act  your  part  on 

"  Life's  great  field  of  kittle," 

serving  God  and  your  country,  is  the  noblest  wish  and 
aim  of  a  human  heart. 


CHAPTER  X. 

VIM  Ornlse  to  Washington  Islands— Cheerfulness— A  New  Orde*— A  Strand 
People — Tattooing  Incidents — Madison's  Island — A  Wild  Englishman— 
War  among  the  Islanders — The  "  Yankees "  in  the  Fray — The  Battle  and 
Victory. 

i  AVING  determined  to  abandon  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Gallipagoes,  Captain  Porter  desired  to  sail 
westward  along  the  equator,  and  find  a  group 
of  islands  comparatively  unknown,  and  thus  add 
discoveries  to  his  conquests.  The  conscientious 
regard  to  ditty — a  quality  conspicuous  in  all  distinguished 
men  who  have  won  an  honored  name — is  apparent  in  the 
following  passage,  referring  to  the  attractive  hunt  for  the 
hidden  isles :  "  But,  on  reflection,  I  determined  to  make 
the  best  of  my  way  for  the  Washington  Islands,  as  this 
pursuit  would  have  cost  some  expense  of  time,  an  expense 
I  had  no  right  to  enter  into,  as  the  object  of  Government 
in  sending  me  to  sea  was  to  annoy  the  enemy  and  not  to 
make  discoveries  ;  and  should  any  accident  happen  to  the 
ship  in  consequence  of  taking  that  route,  I  knew  not  how 


LIFE  OF  ADMIRAL   FARRAGTJT.  143 

I  should  be  able  to  justify  my  conduct  in  wandering  from 
the  direct  course  to  the  place  of  our  destination." 

The  Washington  Islands  were  the  next  goal  of  the 
Essex,  but  as  yet  the  crew  knew  nothing  of  their  future 
cruising  ground.  I  cannot  deny  my  young  reader  a  fresh 
view  of  the  commander's  knowledge  of  men,  and  of  his 
official  relations  in  connection  with  his  breaking  the  se- 
cret. "  I  saw  no  prospect  of  evil  resulting  from  making 
my  plans  known  ;  and  as  I  have  ever  considered  that 
cheerfulness  is  u  more  powerful  antiseptic  than  any  other 
known,  I  determined  to  apply  one  of  the  doses  which,  I 
believe,  had  heretofore  greatly  contributed  to  preserve  the 
health  of  my  men.  The  following  note  was  communi- 
cated to  them ;  and  those  who  know  the  disposition  of 
sailors  may  readily  conceive  the  effect  it  produced.  For 
the  remainder  of  our  passage  they  could  talk  and  think 
of  nothing  but  the  amusements  and  novelties  that  awaited 
them  in  this  new  world  : 

"  *  We  are  bound  to  the  Western  Islands,  with  two 
objects  in  view :  1st.  That  we  may  put  the  ship  in  a  suit- 
able condition  to  enable  us  to  take  advantage  of  the  most 
favorable  season  for  our  return  home.  2d.  I  am  desirous 
that  you  should  have  some  relaxation  and  amusemett 
alter  being  so  long  at  sea,  as  from  your  late  good  conduct 
you  deserve  it. 

"  '  We  are  going  among  a  people  much  addicted  to 
thieving,  treacherous  in  their  proceedings,  whose  conduct 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

is  governed  only  by  fear,  and  regulated  by  views  to  their 
interest.  We  must  put  nothing  in  their  power,  be  ever 
on  our  guard,  and  prevent,  by  every  means  that  can  be 
used,  disputes  and  difficulties  with  them  ;  we  must  treat 
hem  with  kindness,  but  never  trust  them,  and  be  most 
vigilant  where  there  is  the  greatest  appearance  of  friend- 
ship. Let  the  fate  of  the  many  who  have  been  cut  off  by 
the  savages  of  the  South  Sea  Islands  be  a  useful  warning 
to  us. 

"  *  It  will  require  much  discretion  and  good  manage- 
ment to  keep  up  a  friendly  intercourse  with  them ;  and  in 
the  regulations  that  I  shall  lay  down  for  this  object,  I  shall 
expect  the  hearty  concurrence  of  every  person  under  my 
command. 

"  '  Disputes  are  most  likely  to  arise  from  traffic  with 
them.  To  prevent  them  I  shall  appoint  a  vessel  for  the 
express  purpose  of  trading,  and  shall  select  an  officer  and 
four  men  to  conduct  all  exchanges.  Every  other  person 
is  positively  forbidden  to  traffic  with  the  natives,  except 
through  the  persons  so  selected  to  conduct  the  trade. 

" '  No  canoes  or  male  natives  will  be  permitted  to 
come  alongside  the  Essex  or  any  other  vessel,  except  the 
trading  ship,  on  any  account,  unless  it  may  be  the  chief 
whom  I  may  designate.  And  if  every  person  exerts 
himself  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  ship,  as  well  as  to 
enforce  the  above  regulations,  and  such  ofhers  as  I  may 
from  time  to  time  adopt,  I  shall  give  you  time  to  amuse 


UFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT.  145 

yourselves  on  shore.  But  this  indulgence  shall  eease  the 
moment  I  discover  any  relaxation  in  vigilance  or  in- 
dustry. D.  POKTEB.'  " 

"  Land,  ho  !  Land,  ho  ! "  rang  from  the  masthead  of 
the  Essex  at  noon  of  October  23d,  as  Hood's  Island  rose 
from  the  sea.  The  next  day  the  Washington  Isles  lay  in 
the  distance  on  the  bosom  of  the  bright  and  tranquil 
deep.  Captain  Roberts,  of  Boston,  discovered  them  in 
May,  1792,  and  named  them  after  our  great  General  and 
first  President,  the  Washington  Group,  including  Adams, 
Jefferson,  and  Hamilton ;  and  presenting,  upon  getting 
near  them,  a  beautiful  appearance.  Rich  valleys,  clear 
streams,  and  houses  grouped  on  the  hill-sides,  made  in- 
viting landscapes  to  the  ocean-weary  people  of  the  Essex. 
The  inhabitants,  as  in  the  other  islands  visited,  valued 
very  highly  pieces  of  iron  and  whale's  teeth,  offering  ani- 
mals and  fruits  for  a  small  fragment  of  a  hoop,  or  a 
single  tooth.  Sometimes  a  shipload  of  sandal  wood  could 
be  taken  from  an  island  for  a  few  of  these  dental  forms 
of  ivory.  The  natives  wore  no  clothing,  and  danced,  and 
shouted,  and  clapped  their  hands,  at  the  sight  of  the  old 
iron  hoops.  To  my  young  reader  it  seems  impossible 
that  men  could  be  so  like  children ;  but  pagans  are  every 
way  m  their  infancy,  excepting-  in  the  comparative  inno- 
cence of  childhood — their  passions,  as  we  shall  soon  see, 
are  full  grown  in  malignity  and  violence. 
7* 


146  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FAKBAGUT. 

For  diversion  two  fish-hooks  were  offered  to  three  men 
for  a  bread-fruit  each  held  in  his  hand.  To  this  proposi- 
tion they  agreed.  The  question  was,  what  would  they  do 
with  the  two  hooks  ?  When  they  had  received  them,  one 
of  the  trio  sprang  into  the  water  with  his  bread-fruit  and 
swam  ashore,  settling  by  his  cunning  trick  of  dishonesty 
the  difficulty  at  once.  The  "middies"  amused  them- 
selves with  the  peculiarities  of  these  primitive  specimens 
of  humanity,  who  seemed  to  look  with  awe  upon  the 
frigate.  Nothing  was  more  curious  than  the  tattooing 
which  covered  their  bodies,  often  with  highly-wrought 
figures,  making  the  skin  like  carved  mahogany. 

The  original  method  among  the  islanders  was  the 
following :  "  Tattooing  is  performed  by  means  of  a 
machine  made  of  bone,  something  like  a  comb,  with  the 
teeth  only  on  one  side.  The  points  of  the  teeth  are  rub- 
bed with  a  black  paint  made  of  burnt  cocoa-nut  shell 
ground  to  powder,  and  mixed  with  water.  This  is  struck 
into  the  flesh  by  means  of  a  heavy  piece  of  wood,  which 
serves  the  purpose  of  a  hammer.  The  operation  is  ex- 
tremely painful,  and  streams  of  blood  follow  every  blow ; 
yet  pride  induces  them  to  bear  this  torture,  and  they  even 
suffer  themselves  to  be  tied  down  while  it  is  performing, 
in  order  that  their  agony  may  not  interrupt  the  operator. 
The  men  commence  tattooing  as  soon  as  they  are  able  to 
bear  the  pain,  generally  at  the  age  of  eighteen  or  nine- 
teen, and  are  rarely  completely  tattooed  until  they  arrive 


LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL   FAKKAGTJT.  147 

at  the  age  of  thirty-five.  The  women  begin  about  the 
same  age,  but  have  only  their  legs,  arms,  and  hands 
tattooed,  which  is  done  with  extraordinary  neatness  and 
delicacy.  Some  slight  lines  are  drawn  across  their  lips. 
It  is  also  the  practice  with  some  to  have  the  inside  of 
their  lips  tattooed,  but  the  object  of  this  ornament  I  could 
never  find  out,  as  it  is  never  seen  unless  they  turn  out 
their  lips  to  show  it.  Every  tribe  in  the  island,  I  ob- 
served, was  tattooed  after  a  different  fashion,  and  I  was 
informed  that  every  line  had  its  meaning,  and  gave  to  the 
bearer  certain  privileges  at  their  feasts.  This  practice 
of  tattooing  sometimes  occasions  sores  which  fester  and 
are  several  weeks  before  they  heal ;  it,  however,  never 
produces  any  serious  consequences,  or  leaves  any  scars 
behind."  Tattooing  is  practised  now  by  all  classes  of 
seamen. 

Here  is  a  recent  description  of  it  which  will  interest 
the  curious  reader :  "  It  is  usually  confined  to  the  arms, 
hands,  and  occasionally  to  the  breast,  and  we  have  known 
it  to  be  thus  performed.  The  design  being  first  sketched 
on  the  skin  with  Indian  ink,  or  charcoal,  etc.,  the  artist 
proceeds  to  delineate  the  same  by  means  of  needles,  which 
are  used  singly,  doubly,  and  trebly.  The  double  and 
treble  needles  are  lashed  together  with  fine  silk,  the  point* 
being  separated  by  passing  the  silk  between  them.  "With 
these  tools,  as  with  pencils  of  different  degrees  of  fineness, 
the  pictures  are  outlined  and  shaded ;  finally,  by  way  of 


148  LI ''E   OF   ADMIRAL   FABKAGUT. 

varnish,  to  bri  tg  the  subject  well  out,  a  black,  blue,  01 
red  mixtnre  is  rubbed  in. 

"  Of  courr  e  the  devices  vary  according  to  the  taste  and 
feelings  of  tha  patient  and  the  skill  of  the  operator ;  thus 
he  pangs  of  unrequited  affection  are  soothed  by  hearts, 
and  darts,  and  torches,  bridal-wreaths,  and  true  love- 
knots  ;  professional  taste  is  gratified  by  representations  of 
ships,  aivihors,  guns,  swords,  and  the  like  ;  the  mysteries 
of  religion  are  denoted  by  devices  of  the  cross  and  crucifix, 
and  the  sacred  monogram  I.  H.  S.,  together  with  the  All- 
seeing  eye ;  while  a  taste  for  the  fine  arts,  combined  with 
a  love  of  pastoral  life,  is  indicated  by  portraits  of  shep- 
herds and  shepherdesses,  pipes — not  tobacco — and  crooks, 
lambs,  aad  cottages. 

"  W<t  proceed  to  describe  a  few  specimens  which  have 
come  w.der  our  own  observation  ;  and  first  we  request  at- 
tention to  that  dejected  looking  young  sailor  '  sighing  like 
a  furnace.'  It  is  almost  needless  to  mention  that  he  is  a 
victim  to  the  tender  passion,  and  in  order  to  appease  his 
suffeiings  the  poor  fellow  has  had  pictured  on  his  arm 
two  hearts,  the  one  large  and  the  other  small ;  beneath 
the  hearts  are  two  sets  of  initials,  the  whole  surrounded 
»y  a  nuptial  wreath.  The  picture  told  its  own  tale  ;  the 
iiearts  and  the  initials  belonged  to  the  lover  and  his  be- 
trothed ;  but  to  which  of  the  two  belonged  the  larger 
heart?  There  stands  his  messmate,  apparently  suffering 
from  the  same  malady,  but  in  a  more  intense  degree 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGDT.  149 

Were  it  not  for  his  jovial  countenance  we  should  deem 
his  case  desperate,  for  on  his  arm,  below  two  crossed 
daggers,  is  delineated  a  bleeding  heart  pierced  by  a 
flaming  dart. 

"  Next  observe  that  staid  old  fellow  ;  he  has  weathered 
'  the  battle  and  the  breeze '  for  many  a  long  year.  He  is 
tin  upright  and  downright  sort  of  man ;  and  his  taste 
being  simple  and  chaste,  his  only  adornment  consists 
of  a  pair  of  punctured  blue  bracelets,  relieved  with  red 
gems. 

"  In  the  month  of  June,  1856,  we  were  watching  a 
party  of  sailors  belonging  to  the  royal  yacht  Victoria  and 
Albert.  One  of  them  evidently  cherished  domestic  hap- 
piness, for  he  had  the  initials  of  all  his  family  punctured 
up  and  down  his  arm,  while  on  the  back  of  his  hand  were 
sketched  masonic  emblems,  the  mysterious  eye,  the 
square,  and  the  compasses.  On  the  other  arm,  sur- 
rounded with  arabesque  ornaments,  flourished  a  grim 
alligator ;  and  to  crown  all,  there  appeared  a  pair  of  por- 
traits of  himself  and  his  lady-love,  or  ra  ther,  not  to  be  so 
sentimental,  of  *  the  gal  he  left  behind  him.' 

"  On  board  the  American  steamship  Niagara  (June, 
1857)  we  noticed  one  of  her  crew  had  ou  his  arm  the  de- 
vice of  a  cross  standing  on  a  pedestal,  while  on  the 
horizontal  arm  of  the  cross  a  bleeding  heart  at  oae  end 
balanced  an  anchor  at  the  other. 

"  Here  is  a  later  example  of  the  American  type,  in 


150  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAERAGDT. 

the  person  '  of  a  man  of  color,  who  gave  ihe  name  of 
Andrew  Jackson  Robinson,  and  said  he  had  served  in 
the  Federal  army.'  He  applied  to  the  magistrate  '  for 
relief  in  a  state  of  great  distress.'  He  explained  that  he 
deserted  from  the  Forty-first  regiment  of  Liberty  Guards 
at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  was  afterwards  caught  and 
imprisoned  in  Fortress  Monroe,  from  which  he  managed 
to  escape  and  make  his  way  to  England  in  a  vessel  named 
the  Charles  "Wesley,  in  the  hold  of  which  he  had  concealed 
himself.  He  bared  his  chest  in  the  court  to  show  that  he 
was  branded  as  a  deserter,  and  was  thus  prevented  obtain- 
ing employment  in  this  country.  He  was  also  similarly 
branded  on  one  hand.  The  Star-spangled  Banner  and 
other  emblems  of  the  American  Union  were  elaborately 
tattooed  in  various  colors  on  the  skin,  and  covered  the 
whole  surface  of  his  breast.  He  was  shoeless,  and  with- 
out a  coat.  He  said  he  did  not  know  what  on  earth  to 
do,  for  here  he  could  get  no  work.  He  had  been  taken 
up  for  begging,  and  if  he  returned  to  America  he  would 
be  liable  to  the  conscription,  if  he  escaped  being  shot  as  a 
deserter.  Well,  we  may  extend  Christian  charity  even 
to  a  bad  man — God  help  even  the  best  of  us  if  worthiness 
is  to  be  the  standard  of  acceptance  1  At  all  events,  we 
may  legitimately  pity  the  fate  of  a  poor  fellow  who  was 
shipwrecked  last  winter  on  the  coast  of  Cornwall,  whose 
dead  body  was  picked  up  near  Zennor,  and  who,  we  trust, 
was  identified,  owing  to  his  *  left  arm  being  tattooed  with 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABKAGUT.  151 

a  representation  of  a  full-rigged  ship,  and  a  sailor  having 
the  English  ensign  over  his  shoulder.' 

"  Perhaps  the  reader  would  hardly  expect  to  find  the 
subject  'of  man's  first  disobedience'  illustrated  on  ship- 
board, and  yet  we  saw  a  seaman  belonging  to  the  Queen's 
favorite  little  yacht,  the  Fairy,  on  whose  arm  was  delin- 
eated Adam  and  Eve,  looking  the  very  incarnation  of  in- 
nocence. There  they  stood,  one  on  each  side  of  the  Tree 
of  Knowledge,  listening  to  the  appeal  of  the  serpent,  who 
was  coiled  round  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  '  The  fruit  of  that 
forbidden  tree '  was  so  faithfully  pictured  in  red,  that  one 
felt  almost  inclined  to  forgive  *  the  apple-eating  traitress* 
for  yielding  to  the  temptation. 

"  During  the  month  of  August,  1845,  we  observed  a 
seaman  in  Portsmouth  dockyard  who  had  a  crucifix  im- 
printed on  his  right  arm,  and  on  his  left  arm  was  neatly 
punctured  the  following  verse : 

'  From  rocks  and  sands  and  barren  lands, 

Kind  fortune  set  me  free ; 
From  great  guns  and  women's  tongues 
Good  Lord  deliver  me  1 ' 

Observe  the  gallantry  of  the  climax,  which  seems  to  imply 
that  the  noise  of  the  artillery  of  women's  tonguee  is  more 
to  be  dreaded  than  the  report  of  great  guns." 

Upon  casting  anchor  in  the  bay  off  Madison's  Island, 
a  naked  Englishman,  in  every  thing  but  color  like  the  na- 
tives, came  to  the  ship.  Many  years  he  had  been  among 


152  LIFE   OF   ADMTKAL   FARRAGTTT. 

the  tropical  islands,  speaking  their  language,  and  con- 
forming to  all  their  customs  ;  a  man  who  was  educated 
in  a  Christian  land,  changed  to  a  savage,  and  proud  to  be 
a  leader  among  them.  Upon  the  hills  of  the  island  were 
companies  of  Indians  presenting  a  strange  and  threaten- 
ing aspect.  It  was  discovered  that  a  war  was  in  progress 
between  the  people  and  a  fighting  tribe  beyond  the  moun- 
tains. And  as  we  shall  have  the  brilliant  victories  of 
Commodore  Farragut  to  narrate,  we  will  take  a  partial 
view  of  the  entirely  new  and  exciting  scenes  of  island 
warfare,  which  intensely  enlisted  the  curiosity  and  awak- 
ened the  enthusiasm  of  Midshipman  Farragut. 

The  first  thing  which  attracts  attention  is  the  way  they 
fought.  The  hostile  tribes  assemble  on  the  hill-tops,  with 
the  valley  between  them,  when  a  Warrior  from  one  side 
advances  in  gay  attire,  ornamented  with  feathers,  shells, 
and  ear-pendants,  dancing  toward  the  enemy,  and  chal- 
lenging to  single  combat.  A  shower  of  stones  and  spears 
welcomes  the  challenger,  which  he  with  marvellous  dex- 
terity avoids.  He  is  then  pursued  by  a  large  band  of  the 
enemy,  who  are  in  turn  met  and  chased  backward.  If 
OBC  is  knocked  down  by  a  stone,  the  pursuers  rush  to  the 
wounded  man,  and  with  spears  and  clubs  soon  despatch 
their  victim,  and  then  carry  him  away  in  triumph,  each 
dipping  his  spear  in  the  blood,  which  must  not  be  wiped  off 
but  always  remain,  giving  to  the  weapon  the  name  of  the 
dead  warrior,  and  increasing  its  value.  They  used  tlingt 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  153 

with  great  skill,  which  are  made  from  the  fibres  of  the 
cocoa-nut  tree,  and  will  throw  a  stone  weighing  half  a 
pound.  So  powerful  were  these,  that  broken  limbs,  frac- 
tured skulls,  and  scars  revealed  the  force  and  accuracy 
of  their  sling-shots.  Their  spears  were  sometimes  weak 
ened  above  the  blade  by  holes,  so  as  to  break  off  and 
leave  it  in  the  body. 

While  the  Essex  was  in  communication  with  the  na- 
tives on  the  shore,  comprising  three  or  four  tribes,  a  camp 
was  pitched,  and  a  cannon  with  marines  placed  there.  All 
the  while  the  hostile  Happahs  from  beyond  the  mountains 
lay  along  the  summits,  occasionally  descending  to  the  val- 
leys, robbing  the  plantations,  and  exhibiting  defiance  tow- 
ard the  frigate.  Captain  Porter  armed  his  men,  and  had 
a  large  gun  removed  to  the  base  of  the  mountains  by  the 
friendly  natives  at  war  with  the  Happahs,  who  promised 
to  convey  it  up  the  precipitous  sides  for  battle,  if  our 
forces  would  join  them  there. 

The  Happahs  were  warned  in  vain,  and  seemed  re- 
solved to  test  the  truth  of  their  scornful  declaration  that 
tiie  white  strangers  were  cowards.  "While  things  were  in 
this  attitude,  "  an  Indian  girl,"  says  the  general  of  our 
little  army,  "  who  had  been  wandering  in  the  bushes, 
came  running  toward  us,  the  picture  of  fear,  and  with 
terror  strongly  marked  in  every  feature,  exclaimed  that 
the  Happahs  were  but  a  short  distance  from  the  camp.  I 
directed  the  alarm  gun  to  be  fired ;  every  person  was  im- 


154  LIFE   OF    ADMIltAL    FAKKAGUT. 

mediately  armed  with  such  weapons  as  presented  them- 
selves, and  we  waited  the  expected  attack  behind  our 
barrier,  the  water  casks  ;  but  hearing  no  noise,  we  sallied 
out  to  examine  the  bushes,  and  supposed  it  a  false  alarm  : 
but  on  returning  to  the  camp,  casting  our  eyes  up  the 
hills,  we  perceived  a  party  skulking  among  the  reeds  and 
grass.  We  got  the  six-pounder  to  bear  on  them,  soon 
dislodged  them,  and  had  no  other  interruption  or  alarm 
during  the  day. 

"  About  eleven  o'clock  we  perceived  that  our  people 
had  gained  the  mountains,  and  were  driving  the  Happahs 
from  height  to  height,  who  fought  as  they  retreated,  and 
daring  our  men  to  follow  them  with  threatening  gesticu- 
lations. A  native,  who  bore  the  American  flag,  waved 
it  in  triumph  as  he  skipped  along  the  mountains.  They 
were  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of  friendly  natives, 
armed  as  usual,  who  generally  kept  in  the  rear  of  our 
men.  In  about  an  hour  we  lost  sight  of  the  combat- 
ants, and  saw  no  more  of  them  until  about  four  o'clock, 
when  they  were  discovered  descending  the  mountains  on 
their  return,  the  natives  bearing  five  dead  bodies,  slung 
on  poles." 

For  several  days  after  victory  and  peace,  the  Essex 
remained  among  these  pagans,  whose  ceremonies  over 
the  dead,  and  various  customs,  revealed  the  degradation 
of  heathenism  in  contrast  with  Christianity,  itself  ofteu 
disgraced  in  those  morally  dark  lands  by  corrupt  and 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEEAGUT.  155 

wicked    officials    and    their    men    from    England    and 
America. 

Much,  you  know,  has  been  done  since  that  period  by 
missionary  societies  in  both  countries  to  elevate  the  tribes 
of  the  Marquesas  and  kindred  isles,  where 


rosoect  pleases, 
Ana  oiuy  man  a  me.** 


CHAPTER  \l 

A.  Conspiracy—  Eum— The  Plot  frustrated— The  Island  under  the  Stars  and 
Stripes — The  Typee  War — Captain  Porter's  Defence  of  his  Invasion— Na- 
tive Customs  and  Island  Scenes. 

j  HILE  the  Essex  was  lying  at  Madison's  Island, 
so  called  by  Captain  Porter,  but  in  the  native 
dialect  Nooaheevah,  he  discovered  a  conspiracy 
among  his  prisoners  of  war.  Its  object  was 
to  get  possession  of  the  Essex  Junior,  and  then 
sail  away  from  their  captors.  They  had  been  allowed 
liberty  to  visit  the  shore  freely  by  their  magnanimous 
commander,  on  promise  of  good  behavior.  They  took 
advantage  of  the  indulgence,  and  matured  their  mutinous 
plans.  At  their  head  was  Lawson,  the  mate  of  one  of 
the  prizes.  The  night  of  the  14th  of  November  was  ap- 
pointed for  the  bold  attempt  to  seize  the  vessel.  A  part 
of  the  plot  was  to  mix  laudanum  with  the  rum  drank  by 
such  of  the  crew  as  were  not  in  the  secret,  reminding  us 
of  more  recent  attempts  of  our  English  friends  to  poison 
and  destroy. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  157 

The  vigilant  officer  in  charge  of  the  cruise  narrates  the 
remainder  of  the  transaction,  giving  another  instance  of 
disobedience  in  which  the  necessity  and  the  enforcement 
of  law  and  order  on  board  a  man-of-war  appears ;  also 
the  formal  possession  of  the  island.  "  Lawson  was  to 
attend  to  the  rum  and  laudanum.  The  third  mate,  with 
the  prisoners  on  shore,  was  to  get  possession  of  the  canoes 
on  the  beach,  and  with  them  surprise  the  ship  and  take 
her  to  sea,  there  being  no  other  vessel  ready  to  follow  her, 
and  no  powder  on  board  the  Essex  which  would  enable 
her  to  stop  them.  Such  was  their  plan,  and  such  tkeir 
expectations.  I  had  been  informed  of  it  almost  as  soon 
as  it  was  conceived,  was  willing  to  humor  the  scheme, 
and  gave  them  every  opportunity  of  making  the  trial, 
adopting,  at  the  same  time,  suitable  means  to  have  them 
secured  and  punished  for  their  perfidy.  At  the  time  of 
the  formation  of  this  plan,  and  while  Lawson  and  the 
others  were  using  their  greatest  exertions  to  get  rum  at 
any  price,  our  rum  casks  were  lying  on  the  gun-deck  un- 
der charge  of  a  sentinel,  where  they  had  been  put  while 
we  were  smoking  the  rats.  Two  of  the  sentinels  were 
detected,  one  in  conniving,  and  the  other  in  assisting  some 
persons  in  stealing  rum.  I  did  not  inquire  who  were 
those  concerned  in  the  theft,  lest  the  discovery  might 
make  known  to  the  conspirators  my  knowledge  of  their 
scheme.  I  therefore  punished  the  sentinels  severely  for 
not  putting  them  to  death ;  informed  the  crew  generally 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT. 

of  the  most  absolute  necessity  for  extraordinary  vigilance ; 
and  told  the  marines  that  for  the  next  neglect  of  duty  I 
should  punish  the  offender  to  the  utmost  extent  of  my 
power. 

"  The  next  evening,  after  going  my  rounds  at  the 
camp,  to  see  that  every  thing  was  right,  I  went  to  bed, 
and  at  half-past  ten  o'clock,  not  hearing  the  sentinel  at 
the  bakehouse  call  out '  All's  well/  I  inquired  the  cause. 
The  sergeant  of  the  guard,  on  examination,  reported  to 
me  that  the  sentinel  was  lying  down  asleep,  and  that  he 
had  not  disturbed  him.  I  determined  now,  should  this  be 
the  case,  to  punish  him  as  he  deserved.  I  felt  the  neces- 
sity of  vigilance,  not  only  on  account  of  our  prisoners, 
but  on  account  of  the  natives.  I  felt  persuaded  that  we 
owed  the  friendly  footing  on  which  we  now  stood  with 
them  entirely  to  our  convincing  them  we  were  always  on 
our  guard,  and  I  was  determined  that  the  safety  of  the 
whole  should  not  be  hazarded  by  the  neglect  of  the  ma- 
rines. I  therefore  seized  my  pistol,  and,  followed  by  the 
sergeant  and  a  guard,  proceeded  for  the  bakehouse,  where 
we  found  the  culprit  fast  asleep,  his  musket  lying  beside 
him.  I  directed  him  to  be  seized,  and,  at  the  same  mo- 
ment he  was  wounded  through  the  fleshy  part  of  the  thigh. 
This  example  had  a  proper  effect,  and  rendered  every  per- 
son more  vigilant,  particularly  the  marines.  I  shall  make 
no  further  comments  on  this  affair.  If  the  punishment 
should  appear  a  severe  one,  let  those  who  censure  me 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  159 

place  themselves  for  a  moment  in  my  situation .  I  was 
far  distant  from  the  means  of  obtaining  a  judicial  inquiry 
into  his  offence,  which  would  probably  have  terminated 
fatally  for  him ;  promptness  and  vigilance  on  my  part 
were  the  only  sure  guarantees  to  the  success  of  a  cruise 
so  highly  important  to  the  interests  of  my  country. 

"  As  I  before  observed,  Sunday  night  was  the  period 
fixed  on  by  the  conspirators  for  making  their  attempt.  But 
unfortunately  (or  rather  fortunately)  for  them,  it  so  hap- 
pened that  a  ship  hove  in  sight  off  the  mouth  of  the  har- 
bor on  Saturday  afternoon,  and,  on  discovering  us,  stood 
off  to  sea  under  a  press  of  sail.  The  Essex  Junior  imme- 
diately slipped  her  cables  and  gave  chase  to  her,  and  not 
expecting  her  back  before  Monday,  I  put  all  my  prisoners 
in  irons,  and  thus  at  once  frustrated  a  scheme  which  had 
wholly  engrossed  them  for  the  last  week.  With  a  deter- 
mination that  I  would  make  them  suffer  for  violating  their 
parole,  1  sent  them  all  on  shore  to  the  village,  and  set 
them  to  work  in  building  a  wall  to  surround  it,  which  was 
finished  before  my  departure  from  the  island. 

"  Another  very  disagreeable  event  occurred.  Robert 
Dunn,  quartermaster,  had  been  threatened  by  the  officer 
of  the  watch  with  punishment  for  some  neglect  of  duty. 
Dunn  said  that  the  time  for  which  he  enlisted  had  expired, 
and  if  he  was  punished  he  would  never  again  do  duty  in 
the  ship.  When  this  was  reported  to  me,  it  occasioned 
me  much  uneasiness.  Most  of  my  crew  were  in  the  situ- 
8 


160  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKBAGUT. 

ation  of  Dunn,  and  it  became  necessary  to  find  a  remedy 
for  the  evil.  Promptness  and  decision  were  indispensable, 
and  with  as  little  loss  of  time  as  possible  I  caused  all 
hands  to  be  called  on  the  quarter-deck,  where  I  informed 
them  of  the  offence  of  Dunn.  Then  directing  him  to 
strip,  I  assured  hiir  that  I  should  punish  him  severely, 
and,  to  prevent  his  ev?  •  d'nng  duty  in  the  ship,  I  should 
turn  him  on  shore  on  the  island  ;  observing  that  his  time 
was  out,  and  it  was  proper  he  should  have  his  discharge. 
After  this,  addressing  myself  to  the  ship's  company,  I  ex- 
postulated with  them  on  the  impropriety  and  the  evils 
likely  to  result  from  such  conduct  as  Dunn's,  and  ex- 
pressed a  determination  to  have  no  man  under  my  com- 
mand who  had  it  in  his  power  to  say  his  time  was  out, 
and  he  would  no  longer  do  duty.  I  informed  them  that 
the  times  of  many  were  out,  and  from  that  moment  I 
gave  up  all  claim  on  them  for  their  services ;  that  they 
were  their  own  masters,  and  should  have  their  discharge 
on  the  spot.  If  they  wished  to  enlist  again  for  the  cruise, 
I  would  enlist  them,  give  them  the  usual  advance,  and,  on 
a  suitable  occasion,  give  them  three  days'  liberty  on  shore. 
That  such  as  refused  to  enlist,  but  would  bind  themselves 
to  do  duty,  might  remain  on  board  till  I  would  have  an 
opportunity  of  putting  themr  on  shore  in  some  civilised 
place.  They  should  be  supplied  with  provisions,  but 
should  be  allowed  neither  pay  nor  prize-money.  Such 
as  wished  their  discharge  were  called  on  for  their  names, 


LITE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKBAGUT.  161 

in  order  that  it  might  be  made  out  in  form,  and  they  were 
all  informed  that  the  shipping  papers  were  laid  open  for 
all  such  as  wished  to  enter.  I  now  was  about  proceeding 
to  the  punishment  of  Dunn,  when  most  of  the  officers, 
petty  officers,  and  seamen,  came  forward  and  solicited  his 
pardon,  stating  that  he  appeared  intoxicated  at  the  time 
he  made  the  observation,  and  not  sensible  of  the  offence 
he  committed.  Dunn  also  begged  forgiveness  most  ear- 
nestly, and  hoped,  whatever  other  punishment  I  might  in- 
flict, 1  would  not  turn  him  on  shore.  He  was  sensible 
his  offence  had  been  a  great  one,  but  pleaded  intoxication, 
and  as  a  proof  of  his  attachment  to  the  ship,  requested 
his  name  to  be  placed  first  on  the  list.  I  thought  it  on 
the  whole  advisable  to  pardon  him  ;  the  men  were  all  dis- 
missed ;  every  man  of  all  the  ships  reentered  except  one, 
who,  from  some  foolish  whim,  did  not  wish  to  reenlist, 
although  he  was  desirous  of  remaining,  doing  duty,  and 
receiving  pay.  I  determined  not  to  depart  from  the  prin- 
ciples laid  doAvn.  I  stopped  his  pay,  and  afterwards  sent 
him  to  America  in  the  New  Zealander.  This  affair 
(which,  when  joined  to  conspiracies,  neglect  of  duty,  and 
my  difficulties  with  the  tribes,  had  caused  me  much  un- 
easiness) was  now  settled. 

"  On  the  19th  November,  the  American  flag  was  dis- 
played in  our  fort,  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns  was  fired 
from  the  artillery  mounted  there,  and  returned  by  the 
shipping  in  the  harbor.  The  island  was  taken  possession 


162  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABRAGUT. 

of  for  the  United  States,  and  called  Madison's  Island,  the 
fort,  Fort  Madison,  the  village,  Madisonsville,  and  the 
bay,  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  following  declaration  of  the 
act  of  taking  possession  was  read  and  signed,  after  which 
the  prosperity  of  our  newly-acquired  island  was  drank  bj 
all  present.  The  object  of  this  ceremony  had  been  pre- 
viously and  was  again  explained  to  the  natives.  They 
were  all  much  pleased  at  being  Melleekees,  as  they  called 
themselves,  and  wanted  to  know  if  their  new  chief  was  as 
great  a  man  as  Gattanewa. 

The  peace  with  the  natives  enjoyed  by  the  American 
cruisers  was  brief.  The  Typees,  a  powerful  tribe,  had 
made  aggressions  on  the  clans  friendly  to  the  people  of 
the  Essex,  and  even  refused  to  contribute  to  it  their  share 
of  supplies.  To  maintain  his  authority  and  influence 
with  the  chiefs  who  had  given  him  their  allegiance,  the 
commander  must  bring  the  Typees  to  terms  of  honorable 
treatment  of  both  parties  insulted.  Ambassadors  were 
sent  to  them  in  vain  ;  the  only  salutation  was  a  shower  of 
stones.  The  forces  of  the  Essex  then  advanced  with 
their  allies  into  the  thicket,  where  lay  the  Typees  in  am- 
buscade. "  Snap,  snap,"  went  the  slings,  and  the  stones 
came  whistling  by,  and  at  the  same  moment  spears  came 
whirling  from  the  invisible  foe.  To  retreat  would  create 
the  impression  of  cowardice,  and  the  only  alternative  was 
to  march  on  and  scour  the  woods.  For  a  whole  mile  the 
brave  fellows  pressed  forward  in  a  continual  tempest  of 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAOUT  163 

these  missiles,  unharmed,  when  Lieutenant  Downes  fell 
with  a  broken  leg.  With  an  escort  he  was  sent  to  the 
camp  on  the  beach,  and  the  warriors  continued  to  ad- 
vance. Then  followed  thrilling  scenes  of  conflict  in  the 
tangled  wild  wood  and  swamps ;  the  natives  at  last  com- 
pelling the  wounded  and  exhausted  men  of  the  Essex  to 
retreat. 

"  The  Essex's  crew  composed  the  main  body,  the 
rest  being  divided  into  scouting  parties,  headed  by  their 
respective  officers.  I  directed  the  party  sent  in  ad- 
vance to  halt  as  soon  as  they  had  gamed  the  top  of  the 
mountain  until  I  came  up  with  the  main  body.  There  I 
intended  encamping  for  the  night,  should  our  men  not  be 
able  to  stand  the  fatigue  of  a  longer  march.  Several 
gave  out  before  we  reached  the  summit,  which  we  did  in 
about  three  hours,  with  great  difficulty.  But  after  restr 
ing  a  short  time,  and  finding  ourselves  refreshed,  the 
moon  shining  out  bright,  and  our  guides  informing  us 
(though  very  incorrectly)  that  we  were  not  more  than 
six  miles  from  the  enemy,  we  again  marched.  Several 
Indians  had  joined  us,  but  I  had  imposed  silence  on  them, 
as  we  were  under  the  necessity  of  passing  a  Happah  vil- 
lage, and  was  fearful  of  their  discovering  us,  and  giving 
intelligence  to  the  Typees,  Not  a  whisper  was  heard 
from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other  ;  our  guides  marched 
in  front,  and  we  followed  in  silence  up  and  down  the 
steep  sides  of  rocks  and  mountains,  through  rivulets, 


164  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

thickets,  a&d  reed  brakes,  and  by  the  sides  of  precipices 
which  sometimes  caused  us  to  shudder." 

What  a  wildly  romantic  moonlight  march !  After 
many  perilous  adventures,  hard  marches,  and  severe  bat- 
tles, the  men  of  the  Essex  so  far  subdued  the  Typees 
that  peace  was  made  with  them,  and  nearly  a  thousand 
hogs  were  brought  in  and  presented  to  the  brave  com- 
mander of  the  little  fleet.  It  was  a  curious  spectacle — 
those  wild  Indians  with  their  simple  flags,  coming  over 
the  hills  in  all  directions,  and  driving  the  peace-offerings 
before  them. 

The  pearl-oyster  hooks  and  the  fishing,  the  delicious 
fruits,  and  beauty  of  the  natives  in  their  simple,  natural 
life,  compared  with  those  of  other  islands,  degraded  by 
the  vices  of  the  white  man,  and  the  foolish  religious  ob- 
servances of  these  heathens,  all  occupied  the  leisure  of  the 
crew,  and  made  impressions  on  the  younger  minds  which 
the  lapse  of  years  could  not  efface.  For  at  that  time  but 
little  was  known  of  the  distant  isles,  and  the  most  of  our 
information  now  is  derived  from  the  lips  and  pens  of  our 
intelligent,  devoted  missionaries,  who  have  since  visited 
almost  every  pagan  land. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Departure  from  Madison's  Island — Arrival  at  Valparaiso—  Pcenr?  In  t.e  Hsrbo* 
—  Unexpected  appearance  of  the  Enemy's  Ships — Correspondence — 1>  sro- 
gard  of  Neutrality  Laws — The  Battle — Midshipman  Farragut  a  Hero  iii  the 
Fijjht — Is  Wounded — Captain  Porter's  Escape. 

E  singular  and  not  unmusical  voices  of  the  sea- 
men while  lifting  the  anchor  echoed  from  the 
bow  of  the  Essex,  on  the  beautiful  9th  of  De- 
cember, 1812,  giving  notice  of  departure  from 
the  pleasant  shores  of  sunny  islands.  And  now 
came  the  trial  of  restraint  which  was  severely  felt  by  the 
people  of  the  Essex.  Their  freedom,  which  had  been  so 
great  and  protracted,  was  suddenly  taken  aAvay,  and  there 
was  a  threatening  discontent  on  the  part  of  many.  Soon 
the  able  commander  quelled  the  rising  insubordination 
by  putting  into  a  canoe  and  sending  ashore  White,  the 
leader,  and  telling  him  never  to  let  his  face  be  seen  again. 
Such  is  the  unquestioned  authority  on  board  of  a  ship ; 
no  monarchy  is  more  absolute.  A  poor  Otaheitau  who 
belonged  to  the  crew,  was  struck  by  a  boatswain,  an  io 


166  J.IKE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKA.GUT. 

dignity  which  he  could  not  bear,  and,  shedding  a  flood  of 
tears,  he  jumped  overboard,  saying  no  one  shoiild  evei 
give  him  another  blow.  He  was  really  mourned  by  all, 
for  he  was  gentle  and  kind,  and  amused  the  "  young  gen- 
tlemen" especially  with  his  imitations  of  the  dancing 
rjstoms  and  other  peculiarities  of  his  race. 

The  voyage  for  a  month  was  off  the  coast  of  Chili, 
with  no  incidents  of  importance  till  the  frigate  reached 
Valparaiso,  early  in  February,  on  the  lookout  for  the 
enemy.  The  people  in  port  were  lavish  in  their  hospi- 
talities, as  they  were  on  the  former  visit  of  the  Essex 
and  Captain  Porter  felt  that  he  must  reciprocate  the  atten- 
tlins.  On  the  7th  the  guests  from  the  city  were  on  the 
Essex,  and,  as  on  the  night  before  the  battle  of  Waterloo, 

"And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell" 

The  awnings  were  up,  and  the  flags,  with  various 
decorations,  were  fluttering  in  the  midnight  breeze.  Sud- 
denly a  signal  from  the  Essex  Junior  arrested  the  atten- 
tion of  the  men  of  the  Essex.  Two  hostile  ships  were  in 
sight!  There  was  "hurrying  to  and  fro"  on  the  decks 
of  the  frigate.  "  Boom  ! "  went  the  signal-gun  to  call  the 
seamen  who  were  ashore  to  their  carronades.  When 
the  sun  was  up  the  Englishmen  were  approaching  the 
Essex,  whose  decks  were  "  cleared  for  action."  The 
Phoebe,  a  frigate,  was  commanded  by  Captain  Hillyar, 
and  her  consort  was  the  Cherub.  The  British  com- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  167 

a  lander  and  the  American  had  often  met  in  friendly 
social  relations  in  other  ports,  but  now  there  was  the 
appearance  of  hostile  intentions,  although  in  a  neutral 
I  arbor. 

The  Phoebe,  with  astonishment,  saw  that  her  antago- 
uist  was  ready  for  an  attack. 

Captain  Porter  said :  "  Captain  HiTlyar,  my  ship  is 
perfectly  ready  for  action,  but  I  shall  act  only  on  the  de- 
fensive." 

Affecting  a  careless  manner,  he  leaned  over  the 
quarter,  and  replied :  "  Oh,  sir,  I  have  no  intention  of 
getting  on  board  of  you." 

Captain  Porter  said  :  "  If  you  do  fall  on  board  of  me 
there  will  be  much  blood  shed." 

Just  then  the  jib-boom  swept  across  the  forecastle  of 
the  Essex,  exposing  the  Phoebe  to  a  raking  fire,  while  not 
one  of  her  guns  could  touch  her  enemy.  This  was  too 
near  for  a  peaceful  design. 

The  men  of  the  Essex  were  summoned  to  board  the 
British  frigate.  It  was  now  a  moment  of  the  greatest 
consternation  on  the  Phoebe.  Her  officers  and  crew  saw 
the  whole  force  of  the  Essex  standing  before  them,  armed, 
each  with  a  cutlass  and  brace  of  pistols,  while  it  was  sup- 
posed the  festive  scene  of  the  night  had  put  the  ship  into 
complete  disorder. 

Captain  Hillyar,  more  vehemently  than  ever,  raising 
his  hands,  exclaimed :  "  Oh,  sir,  I  had  not  the  slightest 


LIFK    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

intention  of  boaiding  you ;  it  is  all  an  accident,  sir,  that 
my  ship  is  taken  aback." 

The  truth  is,  he  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  Essex,  which 
could  have  destroyed  the  Phoebe  in  fifteen  minutes,  and 
resorted  to  falsehood  to  save  his  fortunes.  The  honor- 
able officer  of  the  American  frigate  believed  the  asser- 
tion, and  permitted  Captain  Hillyar  to  disentangle  him- 
self, and  drift  away,  all  the  time  exposed  to  the  wasting 
fire  of  her  magnanimous  foe. 

When  Captain  Porter  went  on  shore,  the  officers  of 
the  Government  met  him  with  the  salutation :  "  Captain, 
why  did  you  let  the  opportunity  for  destroying  your  ene- 
my pass?  We  expected  to  see  short  work  made  with 
him." 

Said  the  hero,  "  I  have  always  respected  the  neu 
trality  of  your  port,  and  shall  continue  to  do  so." 

His  record  of  the  affair  is  honorable  to  him,  and  sheds 
lustre  on  his  name. 

"  Although  subsequent  events  have  proved  that  Cap- 
tain Hillyar  was  incapable  of  a  similar  forbearance,  I 
have  never  regretted,  for  a  single  moment,  that  I  per- 
mitted him  to  escape,  when,  either  by  accident  or  design, 
he  had  placed  himself  entirely  at  my  mercy.  At  no 
time  during  the  engagement  which  took  place  after- 
wards, or  since,  would  I  have  changed  situations  or  feel- 
ings with  that  officer. 

"  Captain  Hillyar  and  Captain  Tucker,  the  day  after 


LIFE   OP    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  169 

their  arrival,  paid  me  a  visit  at  the  house  of  Mr  Blanco, 
where  I  generally  stayed  while  on  shore.  Their  visit  wad 
soon  returned,  and  a  friendly  intimacy  established,  not 
only  between  the  commanders  and  myself,  but  the  offi- 
cers and  boats'  crews  of  the  respective  ships.  No  one,  to 
have  judged  from  appearances,  would  have  supposed  us 
to  have  been  at  war,  our  conduct  toward  each  other  bore 
so  much  the  appearance  of  a  friendly  alliance.  At  our 
first  interview,  I  took  occasion  to  tell  Captain  Hillyar  it 
was  very  important  that  I  should  know  of  him  whether 
he  intended  to  respect  the  neutrality  of  the  port.  He  re- 
plied, with  much  emphasis  and  earnestness :  '  You  have 
paid  so  much  respect  to  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  that  I 
feel  myself  bound  in  honor  to  respect  it.'  I  told  him  the 
assurance  was  sufficient,  and  that  it  would  place  me  more 
at  ease,  since  I  should  now  no  longer  feel  it  necessary  to 
be  always  prepared  for  action. 

"  In  the  course  of  this  conversation  I  adverted  to  a 
flag  he  had  hoisted,  containing  the  following  motto  :  '  God 
and  country  ;  British  sailors'  best  rights  ;  traitors  offend 
both  ; '  and  asked  him  the  object  of  it.  He  said  it  was 
in  reply  to  my  motto  of  '  free  trade  and  sailors'  rights,' 
which  gave  great  offence  to  the  British  navy  ;  whenever 
I  hoisted  that  flag,  he  should  not  fail  to  hoist  the  other 
I  told  him  my  flag  was  intended  solely  for  the  purpose  of 
pleasing  ourselves,  and  not  to  insult  the  feelings  of  others ; 
that  his,  on  the  contrary,  was  considered  as  highly  insult* 


170  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEKAGUT. 

ing  in  the  light  of  an  offset  against  ours ;  and  that  if  h« 
continued  to  hoist  it,  I  should  not  fail  to  retort  on  him. 
The  next  day,  this  flag  being  hoisted,  I  displayed  one 
bearing  the  motto  of  '  God,  our  Country,  and  Liberty — 
tyrants  offend  them.'  Three  cheers  followed  on  the  part 
of  the  crew  of  the  Pho3be,  which  were  returned  from  my 
ship.  The  thing  was  taken  in  good  part  by  Captain 
Hillyar ;  we  talked  freely  and  good-humoredly  of  the 
object  of  his  coming  to  that  sea ;  the  long  hunt  he  had 
after  me,  and  of  my  views  in  coming  to  Valparaiso.  He 
asked  me  what  I  intended  to  do  with  my  prizes  ;  when  I 
was  going  to  sea ;  and  various  other  inquiries  were  put 
and  answered.  I  told  him  whenever  he  sent  away  the 
Cherub  I  should  go  to  sea ;  that  it  would  depend  upon 
him  altogether  when  I  departed ;  that,  having  thus  met 
him,  I  should  seek  an  opportunity  of  testing  the  force  of 
the  two  ships.  I  added,  that  the  Essex  being  smaller 
than  the  Pho3be,  I  did  not  feel  that  I  should  be  justified 
to  my  country  for  losing  my  ship,  if  I  gave  him  a  chal- 
lenge ;  but  if  he  would  challenge  me,  and  send  away  the 
Cherub,  I  would  have  no  hesitation  in  fighting  him. 

"  To  these,  and  similar  observations,  Captain  Hillyar 
would  reply,  that  the  results  of  naval  actions  were  very 
uncertain:  they  depended  on  many  contingencies,  and 
the  loss  of  a  mast  or  a  spar  often  turned  the  fate  of  the 
day.  He  observed,  that  notwithstanding  the  inferiority 
of  my  ship,  still,  if  I  could  come  to  close  quarters  with 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABRAGUT.  171 

her  carronades,  I  should  no  doubt  do  great  execution. 
On  the  whole,  therefore,  he  should  trust  to  circumstances 
to  bring  us  together,  as  he  was  not  disposed  to  yield  the 
advantage  of  a  superior  force,  which  would  effectually 
blockade  me  until  other  ships  arrived,  and,  at  all  events, 
prevent  my  doing  any  further  injury  to  the  commerce  of 
Britain.  As  regarded  my  prizes,  I  informed  him  they 
were  only  encumbrances  to  me,  and  I  should  take  them 
to  sea  and  destroy  them  the  first  opportunity.  He  told 
me  I  dared  not  do  it  while  he  was  in  sight.  I  replied, 
« We  shall  see.' 

"  Finding  Captain  Hillyar  determined  to  yield  none  of 
the  advantages  of  his  superior  force,  and  being  informed 
there  were  other  ships  bound  into  the  Pacific  Ocean  in 
pursuit  of  me,  I  secretly  resolved  to  take  every  means  of 
provoking  him  to  a  contest  with  his  single  ship.  The 
Cherub  being  quite  near  to  the  Essex,  the  respective 
crews  occasionally  amused  themselves  with  singing  songs, 
selecting  those  most  appropriate  to  their  situation  and 
feelings.  Some  of  these  were  of  their  own  composition. 
The  songs  from  the  Cherub  were  better  sung,  but  those 
of  the  Essex  were  more  witty,  and  more  to  the  point. 
The  national  tune  of  'Yankee  Doodle'  was  the  vehicle 
through  which  the  crew  of  the  Essex,  in  full  chorus,  con- 
veyed their  nautical  sarcasms  ;  while  '  The  Sweet  Little 
Cherub  that  sits  up  Aloft,'  was  generally  selected  by  their 
rivals.  These  things  were  not  only  tolerated,  but  ea« 


172  LIFE    OF    ADMIKAL    FAKKAGUT. 

eouraged,  by  the  officers,  through  the  whole  of  the  first 
watch  of  the  calm,  delightful  nights  of  Chili ;  much  to 
the  amusement  of  the  people  of  Valparaiso,  and  the  fre- 
quent annoyance  of  the  crew  of  the  Cherub.  At  length 
Captain  Hillyar  requested  me  to  put  a  stop  to  this  prac- 
tice, and  I  informed  him  I  certainly  should  not  do  so 
while  the  singing  continued  on  board  the  Cherub." 

The  escape  of  a  prisoner,  and  his  rescue  from  the  sea 
into  which  he  sprang  from  the  Essex  Junior,  by  the 
Phoebe,  led  to  a  spirited  correspondence  between  the  offi- 
cers of  the  opposing  frigates.  Two  of  the  letters  I  must 
quote,  because  they  will  again  make  you  think  of  English 
and  Canadian  plottings  with  rebels  in  the  great  rebellion, 
and  afford  a  further  insight  into  the  early  culture  of  young 
Farragut  in  loyalty,  magnanimity,  and  the  right  way  to 
fight  a  desperate  foe  : 

"  His  BRITANNIC  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  PIKEBE,  / 
VALPAKAISO,  9th  Feb.,  1814.      , 

"  STK, — By  an  Englishman  picked  up  by  one  of  his 
Majesty's  sloop  Cherub's  boats,  in  a  drowning  state, 
Captain  Tucker  has  been  informed  that  nine  of  our 
countrymen  are  suffering  the  miseries  of  close  confine- 
ment on  board  the  American  ship  of  war  under  your 
orders  ;  and  that  the  calamity  of  imprisonment  is  aggra- 
vated by  their  being  kept  in  irons.  As  this  mode  of 
treatment  is  so  contrary  to  any  I  have  ever  witnessed 
during  a  very  long  servitude,  as  well  as  the  usages  of 


LIFE   OF    ADMIltAL    FARKAliUT.  173 

honorable  warfare,  may  I  beg  (if  the  statement  is  just) 
that  you  will  do  me  the  favor  to  interest  yourself  in  their 
behalf.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

"  (Signed)  JAMES  HILLYAB." 

"  D.  S.  FRIGATE  ESSEX,  VALPARAISO,  10th  Feb.,  1814. 
"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  letter  of  yesterday.  The  information  you  have  re- 
ceived from  the  prisoner  who  made  his  escape  from  my 
armed  prize,  and  who  was  assisted  in  effecting  it  by  the 
boat  and  crew  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Cherub,  is  correct  as 
respects  the  situation  of  the  remaining  prisoners  of  war 
on  board  the  Essex  Junior,  as  well  as  those  in  the  frigate 
I  have  the  honor  to  command. 

"  When  at  the  Island  of  Nooaheevah,  my  prisoners, 
while  on  their  parole  of  honor,  made  a  most  diabolical 
attempt  to  possess  themselves  of  my  prize  by  means  of 
poison,  with  a  view  of  making  their  escape.  I  detected 
and  secured  them  ;  and  when  I  no  longer  apprehended 
further  danger,  I  liberated  them.  Since  my  arrival  here, 
I  have  again  found  it  necessary  to  secure  them,  and  those 
on  board  my  prize  have  been  confined  two  days. 

'k  I  have  not,  perhaps,  had  as  long  a  servitude  as  Cap- 
tain Hillyar ;  nor  was  it  necessary  I  should,  to  learn 
honor  and  humanity.  I  deem  it  only  necessary  to  say, 
that,  of  the  many  prisoners  who  have  fallen  into  my 
hands  since  hostilities  commenced  between  the  United 


174  LIFE   OF   ADMIBAL   FARRAGUT. 

States  and  Great  Britain,  none  have  been  confined  but 
for  my  own  security ;  or  otherwise  punished  but  when 
they  deserved  it.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

"(Signed)  D.  POBTER." 

The  conduct  of  Captain  Hillyar  roused  the  indigna- 
tion of  Captain  Porter,  and  he  resolved  to  seek  an  en- 
gagement, and  conquer  or  be  conquered. 

Notes  passed  between  the  commanders,  and  the  Amer- 
ican officer  ordered  the  prize  Hector  towed  out  of  the  har- 
bor and  burned,  on  purpose  to  provoke  a  battle.  In  hia 
report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  the  name  of  the  boy 
Farragut,  as  we  shall  see,  appears,  intimating  what  was 
indeed  true,  that  he  was  a  veteran  in  the  fight,  fearing 
shot  no  more  than  he  would  snow  balls,  while  pistol  and 
cutlass  had  no  terrors  for  him. 

Wrote  his  captain :  "  The  Phoebe,  agreeably  to  my 
expectations,  came  to  seek  me  at  Valparaiso,  where  I 
was  anchored  with  the  Essex,  my  armed  prize  the  Essex 
Junior,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Downes,  on 
the  lookout  off  the  harbor.  But,  contrary  to  the  course 
I  thought  he  would  pursue,  Commodore  Hillyar  brought 
with  him  the  sloop-of-war  Cherub,  mounting  twenty-eight 
guns,  eighteen  thirty-two  pound  carronades,  eight  twenty- 
fours,  and  two  long  nines  on  the  quarter-deck  and  fore- 
castle, and  a  complement  of  a  hundred  and  eighty  men. 
The  force  of  the  Phcbe  is  as  follows :  Thirty  long  eighteen- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FABKAGUT.  175 

pounders,  sixteen  thirty-two  pound  carronades,  one  how- 
itzer, and  six  three-pounders  in  the  tops — in  all  fifty-three 
guns,  and  a  complement  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
men ;  making  a  force  of  eighty-one  guns  and  five  hun- 
dred men.  In  addition  to  which,  they  took  on  board  the 
crew  of  an  English  letter  of  marque  lying  in  port.  Both 
ships  had  picked  crews,  and  were  sent  into  the  Pacific  in 
company  with  the  Raccoon  of  twenty-two  guns,  and  a 
storeship  of  twenty  guns,  for  the  express  purpose  of  seek- 
ing the  Essex,  and  were  prepared  with  flags  bearing  the 
motto,  '  God  and  country ;  British  sailors'  best  rights ; 
traitors  offend  both.'  This  was  intended  as  a  reply  to  my 
motto,  *  Free  trade  and  sailors'  rights,'  under  the  erroneous 
impression  that  my  crew  were  chiefly  Englishmen,  or  to 
counteract  its  effect  on  their  own  crews.  The  force  of  the 
Essex  was  forty-six  guns — forty  thirty-two  pound  carron- 
ades and  six  long  twelves  ;  and  her  crew,  which  had  been 
much  reduced  by  prizes,  amounted  only  to  two  hundred 
and  fifty-five  men.  The  Essex  Junior,  which  was  intended 
chiefly  as  a  storeship,  mounted  twenty  guns,  ten  eighteen- 
pound  carronades,  and  ten  short  sixes,  with  only  sixty 
men  on  board.  In  reply  to  their  motto  I  wrote  at  my 
mizzen — '  God,  our  Country,  and  Liberty — tyrants  offend 
them.' " 

For  six  weeks  the  enemy  lay  off"  the  port  to  blockade 
the  Essex.  Ineffectual  efforts  were  made  to  close  in  de- 
cisive conflict.  March  28th  a  gale  parted  the  cable  of  tha 


176  LIFE    OF    ADMLEAi.    FAUI1AGUT. 

Essex,  and  she  drifted  to  sea,  when  a  heavy  squall  carried 
away  her  main  topmast.  Thus  crippled,  the  Phoebe  and 
Cherub  came  upon  her,  but  the  boys  worked  the  twelve- 
pounders  with  almost  superhuman  skill  and  courage,  com- 
pelling the  foe  to  retire  after  an  hour  of  desperate  en- 
counter, in  which  several  on  both  sides  were  killed  and 
wounded.  Soon  after  the  vessels  sprang  at  each  other, 
the  Englishman  leading,  like  tigers  from  their  lair ;  and 
flame,  thunder,  and  smoke,  were  the  signals  of  deadly 
strife,  paving  the  decks  with  the  slain,  and  filling  the 
cockpit  with  the  wounded.  At  last,  unable  to  bring  a 
gun  to  bear,  the  British  fire  raked  mercilessly  the  Essex, 
mowing  down  the  men  at  every  discharge,  and  several 
times  setting  her  on  fire.  It  was  a  time  to  try  the  cour- 
age of  all  on  board  left  alive.  The  magazine  was  threat- 
ened by  the  flames  !  Those  who  could  swim  were  ordered 
to  try  for  the  shore,  less  than  a  mile  distant.  The  remain- 
ing part  of  the  crew  flew  at  the  fires,  extinguished  them, 
and  then  commenced  firing  at  the  foe  again.  In  the 
thickest  of  the  fight  was  Farragut,  unconscious  of  the 
peril  until  drawn  back  by  strong  hands  from  his  perilous 
position. 

Records  the  heroic  commander :  "I  was  informed 
that  the  cockpit,  the  steerage,  the  wardroom,  and  the 
berth-deck  could  contain  no  more  wounded ;  that  the 
wounded  were  killed  while  the  surgeons  were  dressing 
them,  and  that,  unless  something  was  speedily  done  its 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  177 

prevent  it,  the  ship  would  soon  sink  from  the  number  of 
shot-holes  in  her  bottom  ;  and,  on  sending  for  the  carpen- 
ter, he  informed  me  that  all  his  crew  had  been  killed  or 
wounded,  and  that  he  had  been  once  over  the  side  to  stop 
the  leaks,  when  his  slings  had  been  shot  away,  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  he  was  saved  from  drowning.  The  enemy, 
from  the  smoothness  of  the  water  and  the  impossibility 
of  our  reaching  him  with  our  carronades,  and  the  little 
apprehension  that  was  excited  by  our  fire,  which  had  now 
become  much  slackened,  was  enabled  to  take  aim  at  us  as 
at  a  target :  his  shot  never  missed  our  hull,  and  my  ship 
was  cut  up  in  a  manner  which  was,  perhaps,  never  before 
witnessed ;  in  fine,  I  saw  no  hopes  of  saving  her,  and  at 
twenty  minutes  after  six  p.  M.  gave  the  painful  order  to 
strike  the  colors.  Seventy-five  men,  including  officers, 
were  all  that  remained  of  my  whole  crew,  after  the  action, 
capable  of  doing  duty,  and  many  of  them  severely  wound- 
ed, some  of  whom  have  since  died.  The  eiemy  still  con- 
tinued his  fire,  and  my  brave  though  unfortunate  compan- 
ions were  still  falling  about  me.  I  directed  an  opposite 
gun  to  be  fired,  to  show  them  we  intended  no  further  re- 
sistance ;  but  they  did  not  desist ;  four  men  were  killed  at 
my  side,  and  others  in  different  parts  of  the  ship.  I  now 
believed  he  intended  to  show  us  no  quarter,  and  that  it 
would  be  as  well  to  die  with  my  flag  flying  as  struck,  and 
was  on  the  point  of  again  hoisting  it,  when  about  Un 
minutes  after  hauling  the  colon  down  he  ceased  firing  I 
8* 


178  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

"  I  cannot  speak  in  sufficiently  high  terms  of  the  con- 
duct of  those  engaged  for  such  an  unparalleled  length  of 
time  (under  such  circumstances)  with  me  in  the  arduous 
and  unequal  contest.  Let  it  suffice  to  say,  that  more 
bravery,  skill,  patriotism,  and  zeal,  were  never  displayed 
on  any  occasion.  Every  one  seemed  determined  to  die  in 
defence  of  their  much  loved  country's  cause,  and  nothing 
but  views  to  humanity  could  ever  have  reconciled  them  to 
the  surrender  of  the  ship  ;  they  remembered  their  wounded 
and  helpless  shipmates  below.  The  conduct  of  that  brave 
and  heroic  officer,  acting  lieutenant  John  G.  Cowel,  who 
lost  his  leg  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  excited  the 
admiration  of  every  man  in  the  ship,  and  after  being 
wounded  would  not  consent  to  be  taken  below,  until  loss 
of  blood  rendered  him  insensible.  Mr.  Edward  Barne- 
well,  acting  sailing-master,  whose  activity  and  courage 
were  equally  conspicuous,  returned  on  deck  after  his  first 
wound,  and  remained  after  receiving  his  second  until 
fainting  with  loss  of  blood.  Mr.  Samuel  B.  Johnson, 
who  had  joined  me  the  day  before,  and  acted  as  marine 
officer,  conducted  himself  with  great  bravery,  and  exerted 
himself  in  assisting  at  the  long  guns,  the  musketry  after 
the  first  half  hour  being  useless  from  our  great  distance. 

"  Mr.  M.  W.  Bostwick,  whom  I  had  appointed  acting 
iurser  of  the  Essex  Junior,  and  who  was  on  board  my 
ihip,  did  the  duties  of  aid  in  a  manner  v  Men  reflects  on 
him  the  highest  honor,  and  midshipmen  Isaacs,  Farragui, 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGDT.  17? 

and  Ogden,  as  well  as  acting  midshipmen  James  Terry 
James  R.  Lyman,  and  Samuel  Duzenbury,  and  master'* 
mate  William  Pierce,  exerted  themselves  in  the  perform- 
ance of  their  respective  duties,  and  gave  an  earnest  of 
their  value  to  the  service.  The  first  three  are  too  young  id 
recommend  for  promotion  ;  the  latter  I  beg  leave  to  re 
commend  for  confirmation,  as  well  as  the  acting  lieuten- 
ants, and  Messrs.  Barnewall,  Johnson,  and  Bostwick. 

"  We  have  been  unfortunate,  but  not  disgraced  ;  th« 
defence  of  the  Essex  has  not  been  less  honorable  to  hei 
officers  and  crew  than  the  capture  of  an  equal  force  ;  and 
I  now  consider  my  situation  less  unpleasant  than  that  of 
Commodore  Hillyar,  who,  in  violation  of  every  principle 
of  honor  and  generosity,  and  regardless  of  the  rights  of 
nations,  attacked  the  Essex  in  her  crippled  state  within 
pistol  shot  of  a  neutral  shore — when,  for  six  weeks,  I  had 
daily  offered  him  fair  and  honorable  combat,  on  terms 
greatly  to  his  advantage.  The  blood  of  the  slain  must 
be  on  his  head,  and  he  has  yet  to  reconcile  his  conduct  to 
heaven,  to  his  conscience,  and  to  the  world.  To  possess 
the  Essex  it  cost  the  British  Government  near  six  millions 
of  dollars,  and  yet  her  capture  was  owing  entirely  to  ac- 
cident." 

Captain  Porter  compliments  highly  the  ladies  of  Val- 
paraiso, who,  while  the  authorities  were  negligent,  were 
unwearied  in  their  attention  to  his  wounded  heroes  ;  an- 
gels of  mercy,  conveying,  in  their  own  hands,  the  wounded 


180  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGTJT. 

to  the  hospital  provided,  and  then  watching  over  them  in 
their  sufferings.  Many  lives  were  saved  by  this  timely 
and  tender  care. 

Not  knowing  what  to  do  with  his  captives,  Captain 
Hillyar  decided  to  make  a  cartel  of  the  Essex  Junior  and 
s.end  them  home.  Captain  Porter  with  his  crew  sailed  for 
New  York,  and,  when  off  Sandy  Hook,  was  hailed  by  the 
British  ship-of-war  Saturn,  Captain  Nash,  who,  in  viola- 
tion of  all  right  in  the  case,  determined  to  retain  the  Essex 
Junior  and  her  men,  making  them  prisoners  of  war.  The 
injured,  magnanimous  hero  of  the  Pacific  voyage  and  bat- 
tie,  shall  tell  the  rest  of  the  story  of  his  homeward  sail : 

"  At  seven  the  next  morning,  the  wind  being  light 
from  the  southward,  and  the  ships  about  thirty  or  forty 
miles  off  the  eastern  part  of  Long  Island,  within  about 
musket  shot  of  each  other,  I  determined  to  attempt  my 
escape.  There  appeared  no  disposition  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy  to  liberate  the  Essex  Junior,  and  I  felt  myself  jus- 
tified in  this  measure.  A  boat  was  accordingly  lowered 
down,  manned  and  armed,  and  I  left  with  Lieutenant 
Downes  the  following  message  for  Captain  Nash  :  '  That 
Captain  Porter  was  now  satisfied  that  most  British  officers 
were  not  only  destitute  of  honor,  but  regardless  of  the 
honor  of  each  other  ;  that  he  was  armed,  and  prepared  to 
defend  himself  against  his  boats,  if  sent  in  pursuit  of  him ; 
and  that  he  must  be  met,  if  met  at  all,  as  an  enemy.'  I 
now  pulled  off  from  the  ship,  keeping  the  Essex  Junior 


LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAQUT.  181 

in  a  direct  line  between  my  boat  and  the  Saturn,  and  got 
nearly  gunshot  from  her  before  they  discovered  me.  At 
that  instant  a  fresh  breeze  sprang  up,  and  the  Saturn 
made  all  sail  after  us.  Fortunately,  however,  a  thick  fog 
eame  on,  upon  which  I  changed  my  course,  and  entirely 
eluded  further  pursuit.  During  the  fog  I  heard  a  firing, 
and  on  its  clearing  up  saw  the  Saturn  in  chase  of  the  Es- 
sex Junior,  which  vessel  was  soon  brought  to.  After 
rowing  and  sailing  about  sixty  miles,  I  at  last  succeeded, 
with  much  difficulty  and  hazard,  in  reaching  the  town  of 
Babylon,  on  Long  Island,  where,  being  strongly  suspected 
of  being  a  British  officer,  I  was  closely  interrogated  ;  and, 
my  story  appearing  rather  extraordinary,  was  not  credit- 
ed. But  on  showing  my  commission  all  doubts  were  re- 
moved, and  from  that  moment  all  united  in  affording  me 
the  most  liberal  hospitality.  On  my  arrival  by  land  at 
New  York,  the  reception  given  me  by  the  inhabitants,  as 
well  as  by  those  of  every  other  place  through  which  I 
passed,  it  becomes  not  me  to  record.  It  is  sufficient  to 
say,  it  has  made  an  impression  on  my  mind  never  to  be 
effaced. 

"  The  Essex  Junior,  after  being  detained  the  whole 
of  the  day  following  my  escape,  and  ransacked  for  money  ; 
her  crew  mustered  on  deck,  under  pretence  of  detecting 
deserters ;  her  officers  insulted,  and  treated  with  shame- 
ful outrage ;  was  at  length  dismissed,  and  arrived  next 
day  at  New  York,  where  she  was  condemned  and  sold." 


182  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FAKKAGtTT. 

No  heart  could  be  more  tried  and  indignant  amid  all 
these  scenes  of  outrage  to  his  kind  commander  and  to 
himself,  still  bearing  his  wound  from  British  weapons, 
than  Midshipman  Farragut's — one  of  the  "middies"  at 
that  time  in  the  United  States  navy.  We  find  in  an  old 
Boston  almanac  his  name  entered  "  Glasgow  Farragut" — 
no  middle  name,  and  a  single  K  in  the  last.  How  he 
was  afterwards  welcomed  to  Boston,  from  whose  harbo? 
he  had  sailed  unknown,  we  shall  learn. 


JHAPTER  XIII. 


.»iurns  to  the  United  States— A  Good  Btory— EnU«  the 
Military  School  at  Chester— Again  at  Sea— The  Chaplain  his  Friend— At 
Tunis  with  the  Consul— Historic  Scenes— Development  of  Character— Afloat 
•gain — At  Norfolk — Marriage — Promotion. 

I/THOUGH  Farragut  landed  in  New  York  with- 
out his  commander,  and  while  he  was  drifting 
and  moving  about  in  a  small  craft,  they  reached 
the  metropolis  safely,  and  not  far  apart  in  time. 
Again  the  young  Catalonian  was  restored  to  his 
paternal  officer,  who,  after  receiving  the  most  enthusiastic 
demonstrations  of  admiration  from  his  countrymen,  was 
again  put  in  command. 

A  good  story  has  been  current  about  our  hero-boy, 
the  exact  truth  of  which  cannot  be  verified ;  but  it  is  so 
like  the  young  adventurer  that  it  will  bear  reading.  The 
President  sailed  from  New  York  just  before  the  Essex 
did,  and  was  taken  by  the  Endymion  the  middle  of  Jan- 
uary, 1813.  Still,  such  an  incident  may  have  occurred 


184  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT. 

after  hia  return,  repeating  the  reckless,  heroic  daring  ol 
the  fight  at  Valparaiso. 

"  The  British  man-of-war  Plautagenet,  seventy-foui 
guns,  fell  in  with  the  cruiser  President,  off  Charleston, 
South  Carolina.  The  President  being  much  inferior  to 
the  Plantagenet,  both  in  men  and  guns,  her  commander 
did  not  think  it  right  to  risk  a  battle  with  the  English- 
man ;  and  so  he  crowded  all  sail  to  escape  her  by  running 
into  the  harbor.  This,  of  course,  encouraged  the  Plan 
tagenet  to  chase.  The  wind  being  fair,  both  ships  were 
soon  rapidly  nearing  the  bar.  The  commander  of  the 
President  knew  that  the  Englishman  drew  too  much  water 
to  get  in,  and  felt  confident  that  the  ship  could,  if  the  tide 
served.  Just  as  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  run  boldly 
in,  the  wind  died  away,  leaving  both  ships  nearly  becalmed 
almost  within  gunshot  of  each  other.  Then,  while  trying 
to  coax  enough  wind  into  his  sails  to  carry  his  ship  to  the 
bar,  the  American  determined  to  send  Midshipman  Far- 
ragut  in  a  boat  to  sound  the  channel.  The  boat  was  called 
away,  and  left  the  ship  with  little  Farragut,  then  about 
fifteen  years  old,  seated  grimly  iu  the  stern,  with  his  hand 
on  his  sword  and  his  eye  on  the  bar. 

"  Imagine  the  little  fellow's  consternation,  when,  look- 
ing back,  he  saw  his  ship  making  all  sail  toward  the 
Plantagenet  with  a  freshening  breeze,  while  he  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  call  to  quarters.  The  wind  had  shifted 
and  grown  quite  fresh,  cutting  the  President  off  from  all 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  185 

chance  of  getting  into  Charleston  harbor,  and  her  captain 
at  once  determined  to  attack  the  Englishman  boldly.  And 
thus  it  happened  that  the  little  midshipman,  Farragut, 
stood  stamping  his  tiny  feet  in  rage  of  disappointment, 
while  the  President  sailed  away  from  him  to  fight  the 
Plantagenet. 

" '  I'll  be  on  board  to  fight  the  Plantagenet  yet ! '  quoth 
Farragut.  '  I  will,  I  will !  Set  the  sails,  men  I  Be 
alive — be  alive  !  Don't  stand  with  your  mouths  open ! ' 

"  '  Please,  sir,'  said  the  cockswain,  *  this  boat  is  very 
crank,  sir,  and  the  breeze  is  fresh,  sir.  I  know  she'll  go 
over  if  we  do.' 

" '  Set  the  sail ! '  cried  Farragut ;  '  Fll  be  on  board 
before  that  ship  takes  the  Plantagenet,  or  drown  you  all ! ' 

"  The  sail  was  set,  and  the  little  boat  began  to  plough 
through  the  water. 

"  Said  Farragut :  '  Wet  the  sail,  men,  and  don't  lose 
an  inch  !  What  fine  fat  hams  and  pet  pigs  those  English- 
men have  !  a  good  time  we'll  have  to-morrow  in  our  mess  ! 
We'll  take  this  fellow  before  night ! ' 

"  Just  then  a  squall  struck  the  boat,  and  into  the 
water  went  Midshipman  Farragut  with  his  boat's  crew. 

"  '  Oh !  what  will  the  captain  say  to  me  for  upsetting 
the  boat,  and  losing  the  oars  and  tackle  ;  and  I've  lost  the 
fight  too ! '  cried  Farragut,  as  his  head  came  up  out  of 
the  water. 

"  He  began  to  sneeze  the  salt  water  out  of  his  eyes 


186  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FABRAGUT. 

and  nose,  as  lie  looked  round  at  the  men's  heads  popping 
up,  one  by  one,  out  of  the  waves. 

"  '  It's  bad  enough  to  lose  the  tackle  ;  and  now  you've 
not  only  lost  the  fight  for  me,  but  you  want  to  drown  your- 
selves too.  I'll  kill  the  first  man  that  dares  to  drown  ! ' 
awd  little  Farragut  sputtered  and  scolded  away  at  the  men 
to  keep  afloat,  until  they  got  on  the  bottom  of  his  boat, 
where  he  bewailed  his  fate  in  missing  the  action. 

"  The  result,  however,  was  different  from  what  every 
one  expected.  When  the  captain  of  the  Plantagenet  saw 
the  President  intended  to  fight  him,  he  suddenly  changed 
his  course,  and  absolutely  ran  away,  much  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all,  particularly  Farragut,  who  was  picked  off 
of  the  bottom  of  his  boat  in  a  short  time,  wet  and  discon- 
solate. The  Englishman,  it  was  afterwards  discovered, 
had  declined  to  fight  because  his  men  were  in  a  state  of 
mutiny  ;  and,  upon  his  arrival  at  home,  a  court  of  inquiry 
justified  him." 

Upon  the  return  of  peace,  in  the  autumn  of  1814, 
Captain  Porter  secured  for  Farragut,  whose  promise  of  » 
successful  career  had  been  watched  and  appreciated  by 
him,  a  place  in  a  school  at  Chester,  Penn.,  in  which  were 
taught  the  elementary  tactics  of  the  military  and  naval 
science.  In  this  then  quiet  and  ancient  town  on  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware,  fourteen  miles  from  Philadelphia,  the 
midshipman  passed  a  profitable  year,  when  his  love  of 
the  sea  *ed  him  again  to  its  familiar  scenes.  He  was  sent 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  187 

to  the  Mediterranean  squadron,  and  his  home  was  on 
board  its  flag-ship,  Washington,  seventy-four  guns,  under 
Commodore  Isaac  Chauncey,  whose  chaplain,  Rev.  Chas. 
Folsom,  since  professor  in  Cambridge  University,  became 
his  instructor  and  friend.  It  was  a  crisis  in  his  expe- 
rience and  career.  The  boy  was  passing  into  manly 
youth,  and  the  cultivated  taste  and  elevated  sentiments 
of  his  teacher  had  a  commanding  influence  over  him, 
which  he  has  ever  since  gratefully  acknowledged.  This 
was  before  naval  schools  were  established,  and  candidates 
for  the  naval  service  were  taught  on  board  the  stips.  A 
large  number  were  committed  to  Mr.  Folsom.  For  two 
years  the  relation  of  preceptor  and  student  continued 
ripening  into  a  mutual  affection.  And  when,  upon  leav- 
ing his  post,  Mr.  Folsom  was  appointed  consul  to  Tunis, 
it  was  arranged  that  Farragut  should  have  a  ii^  lough 
and  accompany  him. 

In  regard  to  this  arrangement  Mr.  Folsom  says  :  "  I 
describe  him  as  he  now  appeared  to  me  by  one  word, 
'  ABIEL.'  Our  mutual  joy  was  complete.  The  intent 
was,  that  I  should  be  literally  '  his  guide,  philosopher, 
and  friend,'  acting  according  to  my  own  discretion,  but 
officially  accountable  for  him  as  his  superior  officer  (for  I 
had  not  resigned  my  place  in  the  navy).  While  clothed 
with  this  complete  authority,  I  do  not  remember  that 
I  ever  issued  an  '  order,'  or  had  occasion  to  make  a 
suggestion  that  amounted  to  a  reproof.  All  needed  con- 


188  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT. 

trol  was  that  of  an  elder  over  an  affectionate  younger 
brother." 

Life  in  Tunis  was  entirely  new.  Young  Farragut 
went  from  his  retired,  rural  home,  to  sea,  on  whose  bosom 
he  had  lived,  with  the  exception  of  holidays  in  port,  and 
the  brief  period  in  school  at  Chester,  excluded  from  the 
highest  social  influence,  and  familiar  intercourse  with  edu- 
cated people.  But  in  addition  to  his  fraternal  mentor,  he 
was  introduced  to  the  best  and  most  varied  aspects  of  re- 
fined society,  which  can  be  found  only  where  the  consul- 
ates of  the  old  European  nations,  and  of  the  New  "World 
also,  are  established ;  and  from  the  character  of  the  sur- 
roundings, bring  frequently  the  representatives  of  foreign 
courts  and  their  families  together.  Mr.  Folsom's  prottge 
was  at  once  welcomed  to  this  focus  of  aristocratic  asso- 
ciations and  splendor — not  to  be  spoiled,  but  to  see  the 
world  as  he  had  not  before,  and  feel  the  intellectual  stim- 
ulus of  contact  with  so  much  talent  and  culture. 

The  American  consul  assures  us  that  his  "young 
countryman  was  the  delight  of  old  and  young.  This  had 
always  been  among  his  chief  moral  dangers ;  but  here  he 
learned  to  be  proof  against  petting  and  flattery.  Here, 
too,  he  settled  his  definition  of  true  glory — glory,  the  idol 
of  his  profession — if  not  in  the  exact  words  of  Cicero,  at 
least  in  his  own  clear  thought.  Our  familiar  walks  and 
rides  were  so  many  lessons  in  ancient  history ;  and  the 
lover  of  historical  parallels  will  be  gratified  to  know  that 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAERAGUT.  189 

we  possibly  sometimes  stood  on  the  very  spot  where  the 
boy  Hannibal  took  the  oath  that  consecrated  him  to  the 
defence  of  his  country." 

The  city  and  kingdom  of  Tunis  offered  much  to  at- 
tract and  intensely  interest  the  youthful  Farragut.  There 
was  first  of  all  the  ancient  historical  glory  of  the  state. 
Ten  miles  to  the  northwest  of  the  modern  city  of  Tunia 
is  the  site  of  ancient  Carthage,  the  famous  metropolis  of 
antiquity,  founded  by  Queen  Dido,  nearly  a  thousand 
years  before  the  advent  of  Christ.  Here  lived  Hannibal, 
who,  when  he  was  nine  years  old,  at  his  father's  com- 
mand, swore  on  the  altar  of  his  deity  eternal  hatred  to  the 
Romans ;  and  when  twenty-six,  went  forth  at  the  head 
of  an  army,  to  redeem  the  vow.  He  had  at  one  time 
forty  elephants  with  his  more  than  one  hundred  thousand 
troops. 

Carthage  was  called  a  republic,  but  quite  unlike  our 
OWL  in  extent,  and  in  both  civil  or  religious  life.  The 
ruins  are  now  chiefly  the  remains  of  moles,  and  of  a  mag- 
nificent aqueduct  built  by  the  Romans  after  their  conquest. 
Among  these  relics  of  past  heroism  and  glory  the  young 
midshipman  wandered  with  his  classic  guide,  musing  over 
the  departed  greatness  of  the  splendid  commercial  empo- 
rium— the  queen  of  northern  Africa. 

To  stand  where  Hannibal  issued  words  of  command, 
where  the  Roman  generals  rode  proudly  at  the  head  of 
invading  armies — to  read  over  the  story  of  Virgil  there, 


190  LIFK    OF    ADMIX  A].    FAiiliAGT'l. 

was  a  thrilling  and  memorable  experience.  It  colored 
all  subsequent  thought,  and  moulded  destiny.  Nor  was 
Tunis  wanting  in  objects  to  engage  attention,  although 
the  streets  are  irregular  and  filthy.  The  palace  of  the 
bey  is  the  principal  edifice,  where  is  enthroned  absolute 
power.  The  court-room  is  a  display  of  it  in  obsequious 
and  gaily  attired  officials,  while  the  guilty  tremble  before 
the  unalterable  decisions  of  unquestioned  authority.  The 
houses  of  the  consuls  resemble  prisons,  and  stand  apart 
from  the  rest  of  the  dwellings,  which  are  of  one  story, 
having  flat  roofs,  with  their  cisterns  for  catching  rain- 
water. The  bazaars  along  the  street  display  fabrics  and 
perfumes  of  every  kind. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  the  familiar  talks  of 
Farragut,  then  seventeen,  and  the  consul,  who  made  a 
companion  of  the  high-minded,  manly  youth.  Thus 
swiftly  vanished  a  year,  when  the  signals  of  a  tropical 
pestilence  were  seen  spreading  terror  on  every  hand. 
No  official  duty  required  the  midshipman  to  stay  amid 
'As  dangers,  and  with  a  tearful  aclieu  he  joined  a  Danish 
family  and  journeyed  to  Italy,  where  he  again  connected 
himself  with  the  naval  service  on  the  Mediterranean. 
Amid  the  routine  of  duties  on  shipboard  in  time  of  peace 
he  pursued  his  studies,  carrying  out,  practically,  the  noble 
impulse  he  received  in  his  career,  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Folsom. 

January  1st,  1821,  he  received  the  appointment  oi 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  191 

lieutenant  in  the  navy,  and  was  ordered  to  join  the  squad- 
ron in  the  West  Indies.  No  stirring  events  marked  hia 
official  service  for  the  three  ^years  which  followed.  H« 
was  a  gentleman,  and  in  all  his  bearing  displayed  refine- 
ment of  feeling,  and  a  marvellous  freedom  from  any  taint 
of  foreign  intercourse  with  the  licentious  pagan  and  aris- 
tocratic European.  He  was  next  sent  to  Norfolk  navy 
yard,  remaining  there  till  1832.  This  port  of  entry,  in 
a  county  of  the  same  name,  is  situated  on  the  northeast 
side  of  the  Elizabeth  River,  eight  miles  above  its  mouth, 
thirty-two  miles  from  the  ocean,  one  hundred  and  twelve 
from  Richmond,  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-nine  from 
Washington.  Its  streets  are  crooked,  and  the  buildings 
not  elegant.  The  country  around  is  low,  and  in  some 
places  marshy.  The  hospitality  of  the  citizens  has  always 
been  noted.  The  li  arbor  is  a  beautiful  basin,  about  a  mile 
in  width,  and  was  defended  by  three  forts — Norfolk,  Nel- 
son, and  that  on  Craney  Island.  A  mile  from  the  town, 
between  the  east  and  west  branches  of  the  river,  was  a 
marine  hospital,  and  on  (he  opposite  side,  a  little  further 
up,  is  the  village  of  Gosport,  the  site  of  the  navy  yard. 
Here  Farragut  passed  another  crisis  in  his  history  mem- 
orable in  the  experience  of  ripening  manhood.  He  mar- 
•ied  Miss  Loyall,  the  daughter  of  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Norfolk.  She  soon  became  a  hopeless  invalid.  The 
/ears  of  suffering  which  she  knew  was  only  another  trial 
of  character,  which,  like  the  cataract's  break  in  the  cur- 


192  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

rent,  revealing  forms  of  beauty,  and  making  a  deeper 
broader  channel  below,  not  only  brought  out  the  fine  qual- 
ities of  the  man,  but  gave  a  wide  range  of  thought  and 
feeling,  more  strength  and  force,  to  his  noble  nature.  He 
Was  affectionate  and  faithful  until  death  came  to  the  relief 
of  the  sufferer.  He  was  a  sincere  mourner  at  the  grave 
of  the  departed. 

July,  1832,  Lieutenant  Farragut  was  ordered  to  the 
Vandalia,  cruising  off  the  coast  of  Brazil.  Upon  his 
return  he  was  again  stationed  at  Norfolk.  Here  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Virginia  Loyall,  sister  of  the  former  Mrs.  Far- 
ragut. Their  only  son,  LOYALL  FARRAGUT,  is  a  cadet  in 
the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point ;  and  who  will  not 
watch  with  peculiar  interest  the  record  of  the  represent- 
ative of  a  father  so  loyal,  and  so  beloved  by  the  nation  ? 

Again  in  1837  we  find  our  admiral  afloat,  having  been 
appointed  executive  officer,  or  lieutenant  commander,  of 
the  war-sloop  Natchez,  of  the  "West  India  squadron.  In 
November,  1840,  his  post  of  official  duty  was  once  more 
at  Norfolk  till  February  of  the  next  year,  when,  in  the 
seventy-four  gunship  Delaware,  he  sailed  to  the  coast  of 
Brazil.  In  September  he  was  commissioned  commander 
— the  grade  next  above  that  of  lieutenant — a  merited 
progress  in  the  regular  line  of  promotion,  whose  highest 
place  of  honor  was  waiting  for  him.  While  off  Brazil, 
he  was  detached  from  the  Delaware  and  put  in  command 
of  the  sloop-of-war  Decatur. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  193 

These  voyages  of  the  peaceful  cruisers  had  but  little 
to  interest  besides  the  tropical  scenery  and  fruits,  and 
intercourse  with  officers  of  the  foreign  nations.  Bathing 
in  the  warm  latitudes  is  often  made  the  scene  of  excite- 
ment by  the  cry  of  "  A  shark  !  A  shark  !  "  which  soon  dies 
away  in  the  hurrah  following  the  escape,  or  in  the  sadness 
attending  the  tragical  fate  of  the  incautious  seaman. 
Brazil  is  always  interesting  to  the  traveller.  Its  grand 
rivers  and  mountains,  its  magnificent  foliage,  its  brilliant 
birds  and  flowers,  cannot  fail  to  beguile  the  hours  of  a 
visit  to  its  shores. 

Commander  Farragut  reached  Norfolk  February  24th, 
1843,  when  he  was  detached  from  the  Decatur  and  granted 
leave  of  absence,  a  furlough  intensely  enjoyed  in  the 
quieter  experience  of  a  citizen ;  for,  from  boyhood  a 
sailor,  he  had  been  for  almost  the  whole  period  a  stran- 
ger to  the  business  and  enjoyments  which  belong  to  life 
on  shore.  At  Tunis,  he  was  at  a  consulate  in  a  strange 
land  ;  at  Norfolk  navy  yard,  associated  fall  with  the  ser- 
vice of  the  marine. 

April  17th,  1844,  the  receiving  ship  Pennsylvania, 
at  Norfolk,  became  the  domain  of  Farragut's  command. 
The  superintendence  of  its  affairs,  the  coming  and  going 
of  the  seamen,  required  that  good  executive  management 
which  has  always  characterized  our  vice-admiral.  The 
following  year  his  service  was  again  in  the  navy  yard. 

His  next  position  of  honor  and  usefulness  was  the 
13 


194  LIFE   OP   ADMIRAL    FAREAGUT. 

command  of  the  sloop-of-war  Saratoga,  of  the  home  squad- 
ron, cruising  in  the  West  Indies,  to  which  he  was  appoint 
ed  March  9th,  1847. 

March  3d,  1848,  he  was  detached  from  this  service, 
and  April  10th  was  again  at  Norfolk.  On  the  29th  of 
that  month  he  was  detached  to  await  orders  ;  another  in- 
terlude of  rest  and  leisure,  but  not  of  idleness  or  dissi- 
pation. The  culture  of  Farragut's  mind  was  uninter- 
rupted during  all  the  years  of  varied  duty. 

March  15th,  1851,  he  was  called  to  Washington  as 
inspector  of  ordnance  ;  and  a  year  later  he  was  removed 
to  Norfolk  in  the  same  service.  For  three  years  he 
might  have  been  seen  walking  the  rounds  of  business, 
among  the  grim  servants  of  war,  unconsciously  keep- 
ing them  in  readiness  for  rebel  hands,  ere  long  to  be  lifted 
against  the  life  of  the  republic. 

Farragut  was  then  ordered  (August  9th,  1854)  to 
California,  in  charge  of  the  Man  Island  navy  yard.  It 
was  opened  for  the  Pacific  coast,  which  the  discovery  of 
gold  had  made  a  new  empire  of  commercial  wealth  and 
activity  under  the  flag  of  the  republic.  This  was  six 
years  after  the  precious  metal  was  found  in  the  sands  of 
a  mill-race,  while  Lieutenant  Sherman  was  there  in  the 
United  States  service,  and  a  spectator  of  the  great  event. 
In  September  of  the  succeeding  year,  the  next  step  in 
the  march  of  legitimate  and  worthy  advancement  was 
taken,  by  Commander  Farragut's  promotion  to  a  cap- 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  195 

taincy  in  the  navy — the  highest  position  of  authority  on 
a  single  ship.  Having  retired  from  the  navy  yard  on  the 
Pacific  coast  May  29th,  1858,  on  New  Year's  day  he  was 
ordered  to  the  Brooklyn,  a  noble  sloop-of-war  of  the  home 
squadron.  In  this  position  the  political  campaign  of 
1860  found  him.  He  watched  the  issue  with  intense 
solicitude  ;  for,  though  a  Southerner  by  birth  and  mar- 
riage, he  loved  the  old  flag  with  a  devotion  second  to 
that  of  no  man  in  the  land.  Whatever  the  result,  he 
was  resolved  to  stand  by  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

For  nearly  fifty  years  Captain  Farragut  had  been  in 
the  naval  service  or  on  furlough  only.  Nineteen  years 
had  been  spent  on  the  sea.  In  the  comparatively  un- 
exciting course  of  ofiicial  duties  he  was  a  diligent 
student  and  careful  observer.  While  abroad,  he  had 
learned  the  Turkish  and  Arabic,  and  was  also  familiar 
with  many  other  tongues.  It  was  a  remarkable  instance 
of  long  and  thorough  preparation  for  a  crowning  work 
in  the  country's  cause,  that  would  place  his  name 
among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first,  on  the  roll  of  naval 
commanders  and  heroes.  He  did  not,  could  not  know 
the  design  of  Providence ;  content  to  make  the  most  of 
hie  official  position  for  the  national  honor,  and  of  his 
lime  in  varied  experience  and  mental  culture.  IJpright, 
genial,  modest,  and  devout,  he,  like  our  Grant,  was  God's 
man  for  the  coming  hour  of  terrible  conflict  and  national 
peril. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

JPke  Civil  War  opens— Norfolk— Captain  Farragut— Exciting  Scenes— Patriot!* 
Words — Leaves  Norfolk — Escape  North — His  New  Home — Offers  himself 
to  the  Country— Naval  Expeditions— The  Blockad*. 

T  four  o'clock  on  Friday,  April  12th,  the  sound 
of  cannon  in  Charleston  harbor  awoke  thousands 
of  sleepers,  who  hastened  toward  the  strange  and 
exciting  scene,  and  looked  upon  the  smoke  and 
flame  which  signalled  the  fate  of  the  fair  lands 
of  the  "  Sunny  South,"  although  her  exulting  despots 
knew  it  not. 

At  that  moment  the  State  Convention  of  Virginia  was 
deliberating  upon  the  question  of  secession  in  Richmond. 
To  secure  Union  delegates  from  his  district,  Captain  Far- 
ragut, whose  residence  was  in  Norfolk,  had  counselled 
and  labored,  spending  the  whole  night  in  the  political 
meetings  which  appointed  them.  He  hoped  and  expected 
that  Virginia  would  maintain  her  fealty  to  the  Govern- 
ment. But  on  the  17th  the  ordinance  of  secession  was 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKBAGUT.  197 

passed  by  a  vote  of  88  in  favor,  and  55  against  it. 
Sumter  had  fallen,  and  the  "  Old  Dominion"  also.  Cap- 
tain Farragut  was  sad,  but,  with  his  noble  and  equally 
loyal  wife,  he  felt  no  hesitation  in  regard  to  his  course. 
He  warned  the  people  against  the  horrors  of  civil  revo- 
lution, which  his  varied  experience  in  foreign  countries 
had  shown  him  was  blighting  to  all  that  is  valuable  to 
the  State.  They  laughed  at  him,  calling  him  an  "  old 
croaker." 

April  19th,  1861,  the  Northern  troops  were  fired  upon 
by  the  mob  of  Baltimore,  baptizing  with  blood,  on  thai 
anniversary  day  of  the  first  Revolutionary  slaughter,  the 
civil  conflict.  Captain  Farragut  saw  about  him  the 
scowling  emissaries  of  treason,  plotting  the  further  seizure 
of  the  public  property.  They  invited  and  urged  him  to 
join  them  in  the  foul  and  malignant  conspiracy,  and  with 
them  strike  for  Southern  rights.  He  listened  to  their 
dark  designs,  enforced  by  appeals  to  his  ambition,  domes- 
tic ties,  and  earliest,  warmest  associations. 

"  You  are  by  birth  and  natural  sympathies  with  us ; 
and  any  position  in  the  Confederacy  you  may  desire  will 
be  yours." 

Such  was  the  pleading,  heard  with  quickening  pulse. 
They  had  discerned  the  lion  of  battle  slumbering  beneath 
the  gentle  exterior,  and  sought  his  power  for  their  unholy 
cause.  His  loyal  heart  beat  indignantly ;  and  though 
pure  in  morals  and  religious  in  spirit,  he  could  find  utter- 


198  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FABEAGTJT. 

ance  in  no  common  forms  of  speech.  Pointing  to  the 
national  colors,  with  flashing  eye,  and  face  all  aglow  with 
the  patriotic  protest  against  their  wickedness,  with  no 
thought  of  profanity,  he  exclaimed : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  tell  you  I  would  see  every  man  of  yo»" 
damned,  before  I  would  raise  my  arm  against  that  flag!* 

"  Then,  sir,  you  will  not  he  permitted  to  stay  here," 
was  the  hitter  reply. 

"  I  will  seek  some  place  where  I  can  live,  and  on  two 
hours'  notice ; "  was  the  unhesitating  response  of  the  loyal 
captain. 

He  repaired  to  his  residence,  and  informed  his  family 
that  immediate  preparations  must  be  made  to  hid  farewell 
to  Norfolk.  The  afternoon  and  evening  was  a  time  of 
gloom,  and  yet  of  activity  which  had  the  air  of  cheerful- 
ness, because  loyalty  was  its  inspiration.  The  next  morn- 
ing, April  18,  1861,  Captain  Farragut  passed  out  of  the 
city,  with  his  face  toward  the  north ;  carrying  with  him 
a  few  valuables  from  the  arena  of  treasonable  plots,  and 
the  consciousness  of  a  pure  and  lofty  purpose. 

Crossing  the  Potomac,  he  stopped  at  the  house  of  a 
friend.  Scarcely  had  the  salutations  been  exchanged, 

before  he  said :  "  Mr. ,  I  am  here  without  money, 

or  place  where  I  can  lay  my  head." 

When  he  reached  Baltimore  the  mob  ruled  the  city, 
and  he  barely  succeeded  in  getting  passage  by  steamer 
and  canal  boat  to  Columbia,  Pennsylvania ;  thence  on  the 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FAREAGUT.  199 

railroad  to  New  York.  Meanwhile,  Saturday  night, 
April  21st,  there  was  quite  a  different  scene  from  his 
unknown  arrival  in  the  peaceful  metropolis,  near  his 
former  post  of  duty  and  his  place  of  abode.  To  save  the 
navy  yard  there  from  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  it  became 
necessary  to  destroy  it.  As  the  Sabbath  began  to  dawn, 
the  mines  and  combustibles  were  ready.  The  Pawnee 
and  Cumberland  floated  away  from  the  doomed  spot,  and 
sent  up  the  signal  rocket  to  fire  the  tinder-covered  and 
costly  structures.  Immediately  followed  the  grand  and 
awful  conflagration,  till  the  navy  yard  was  a  plain  of 
smouldering  ruins. 

The  news  of  the  terrific  change  which  had  already 
come  over  Norfolk  since  he  left  its  old  and  „  familiar 
streets,  found  him  busy  with  plans  to  secure  a  peaceful 
refuge  for  his  family.  The  green  valleys  of  the  glorious 
Hudson  attracted  his  steps ;  and  the  lovely  village  of 
Hastings,  twenty  miles  from  the  city,  was  selected  for  his 
northern  home. 

He  now  returned  to  Washington,  to  offer  his  services 
to  the  nation  assailed  by  the  propagandists  of  slavery. 

The  navy  of  the  United  States  was  scattered  abroad, 
through  the  traitorous  management  of  the  Buchanan  Sec- 
retary, who  anticipated  the  collision  between  the  North 
and  South,  and  in  this  department  of  the  Government 
weakened  it  as  much  as  possible.  There  was  no  vacant 
position  in  the  service  for  the  patriotic  captain.  But  un- 


200  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT. 

willing  to  lose  the  opportunity  of  securing  him  for  the 
national  cause,  the  Government  gave  him  a  seat  in  the 
Naval  Retiring  Board.  This  honorable  but  not  pleasant 
duty  was  to  sift  out  unworthy  officers,  and  promote  the 
loyal  and  worthy.  Meanwhile  the  civil  war  had  deep- 
ened in  awful  importance,  and  widened  in  extent. 

In  July  bloody  Manassas  thrilled,  depressed,  then 
thoroughly  aroused  the  country  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
struggle.  The  beautiful  village  of  Hampton,  near  For- 
tress Monroe,  was  burned  by  the  rebels — the  first  torch 
of  the  kind  lighting  up  the  field  of  conflict — its  flames 
•ising  over  an  unarmed,  unoffending  people. 

The  latter  part  of  August,  the  first  secret  naval  expe- 
dition, including  the  Minnesota,  Wabash,  Pawnee,  Mon- 

f- 
ricello,   and    Harriet   Lane,    war-steamers,   sailed    with 

transports  from  Hampton  Roads  for  Hatteras  Inlet,  to 
take  the  rebel  forts  erected  there,  and  hold  the  key  of 
Albermarle  Sound.  Commodore  Stringham  commanded 
the  sea  forces,  and  General  Butler  those  of  the  hind.  The 
splendid  success  of  the  expedition  we  all  know.  After  a 
protracted  and  terrible  bombardment,  the  white  flag  was 
raised  on  the  walls  of  Fort  Hatteras. 

The  next  grand  move  in  the  naval  field  of  action  was 
under  Dupont  in  October,  1861,  whose  fleet  consisted  of 
eighteen  men-of-war  and  thirty-eight  transports ;  the  lat- 
ter carrying  troops  for  the  land  attack.  Port  Royal  was 
the  destination  of  the  armada.  The  guarding  forts  wen 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGDT.  201 

Beauregard  and  Walker,  which  the  rebels  thought  were 
impregnable,  till  the  fleet  rained  its  ponderous  iron  hail 
and  exploding  shells  upon  the  garrisons.  The  terrified 
enemy  made  their  escape.  Among  the  heroes  of  thia 
Battle  was  "William  H.  Steel,  only  fourteen  years  of  age, 
who  handed  up  powder  for  one  of  the  guns,  amid  the  fiery 
hail  and  flying  fragments,  as  coolly  as  a  veteran  of  three 
score  years  could  have  done. 

January,  1862,  a  third  maritime  expedition  was  fitted 
out,  Commodore  Goldsborough  commanding,  and  General 
Buraside  leading  the  land  forces.  The  splendid  fleet 
moved  from  Hampton  Roads,  while  a  host  of  admiring 
spectators  watched  the  grand  march  of  the  seventy  ships, 
with  banners  in  the  breeze,  and  bands  of  music  beneath 
the  starry  ensigns. 

Off  Cape  Hatteras  a  terrific  gale  scattered  the  fleet. 
Amid  the  awful  dash  and  roar  of  the  billows,  General 
Burnside  was  calm  in  his  trust ;  "  feeling,"  he  said,  "  that 
God  held  them  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand." 

February  8th,  saw  the  victorious  charge  on  Park 
Point  battery,  followed  by  the  capture  of  Roanoke  Island 
and  Newbern.  A  month  later,  the  Monitor  and  the  Mer- 
rimac  met  at  Hampton  Roads,  and  the  "  Yankee  Cheese 
Box"  sent  the  rebel  monster  limping  to  his  guarded  den. 

Fort  Pulaski  was  added,  early  in  April,  to  the  bom- 
barded and  conquered  strongholds  of  the  rebellion. 

At  the  same  moment  a  magnificent  naval  expedition 


202  LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGIT. 

was  in  progress,  Avhose  success  was  to  send  the  name  of 
Farragut  around  the  world,  with  applause. 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  a  stirring  poem,  which 
furnishes  a  vivid  glimpse  of  the  blockading  work  during 
the  war,  along  our  extended  coast. 

THE    BLOCKADE. 

Our  ship  is  steaming  o'er  the  wave, 

Off  Carolina's  sandy  shore, 
The  new  moon,  silent  as  the  grave, 

In  crescent  form  is  hanging  o'er. 

Along  the  rim  of  clouds  that  lower, 
Where  heaven  and  ocean  seem  to  meet. 

The  lightning  plays  in  wondrous  power, 
Dluming  far  the  watery  sheet. 

Anon  its  flashes  disappear, 

And  darker  grows  the  gathering  cloud, 

While  God's  own  fearful  voice  we  hear — 
In  thunder — rolling  deep  and  loud. 

From  Bald-Head  *  like  a  blazing  star, 
A  light  gleams  seaward,  far  and  near ; 

Beyond  the  reef  and  sandy  bar 
Appears  the  river  channel  clear. 

The  moon  descends  beneath  the  deep, 

And  still  our  vessel  rides  the  sea ; 
And  still  the  lurid  lightnings  leap 

From  clcud  to  cloud  in  majesty. 

*  Light  House. 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARKAGU1  £02 

At  length,  a  flash  from  distant  gun 

Is  followed  by  a  rocket's  glare, 
Which  rises  like  the  morning  sun, 

And  bursts,  in  globes  of  fire,  in  air. 

"  A  Blockade-Runner  off  the  bar  I n 

The  rocket  signals  to  the  fleet ; 
"  Fort  Caswell "  answers  from  afar, 

With  storm  of  iron  hail  and  sleet 

Our  fleet  steams  up  in  triple  line, 

To  close  upon  the  "  Runner  "  brave, 
Novr  Dressing  on  with  bold  design, 

To  pass  or  sink  beneath  the  wave. 

Thick  darkness  reigns  on  sea  and  shore, 

Save  when  the  lightning  'lumes  the  air, 
Or  "  Caswell's  "  guns  of  largest  bore 

An  instant  flash  with  lurid  glare. 

As  o'er  the  deep  we  swiftly  fly, 

The  ocean  foam  our  only  trail, 
A  voice  sings  out  from  mainmast  high, 

"  A  sail,  off  starboard  beam,  strange  sail  t  * 

Amid  the  clouds  now  moving  free, 

The  lightnings  for  an  instant  blaze, 
And  as  the  gleam  illumes  the  sea, 

Reveals  the  "  Runner  "  to  our  gaza 

The  guns  upon  our  upper  deck 

Pour  out  their  thunder  on  the  air  <— 
W«  look  to  see  a  helpless  wreck, 

And  lo  !  no  sign  of  till  is  there  t 


204  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKKAGUT. 

In  arras  of  black  squall  swiftly  borne, 
The  "  Blockade- Runner  "  flies  away ; 

"  Oh,  for  an  hour  of  smiling  morn  ! " 
"  Oh,  for  a  glance  of  shining  day  ! " 

The  prize  is  fled,  escaped  to  sea, 

And  there  remains  but  this  to  say — 

That  "  Blockade-chasing  "  seems  to  mo 
lake  hunting  pins  'inong  stacks  01  hft 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Preparation  to  attack  New  Orleans  —  General  Butler  —  Farragnt  —  Progrwt 
of  the  Enterprise—  Forts  Philip  and  Jackson—  Fire  Bafts—  The  Signal  Shell 
—  The  Bombardment  opens. 


Island,  a  sea-girdled  sand-bar  about  eight 
miles  in  length  and  less  than  a  mile  in  width, 
lying  on  the  coast  near  New  Orleans,  was  made 
the  rendezvous  of  the  forces  which  were  to  move 
against  New  Orleans.  The  forts  guarding  it 
were  of  course  the  first  object,  for  when  the  defences  of 
a  city  are  gone,  it  generally  falls  without  further  struggle 
into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  And  you  know  our  Gov- 
ernment had  declared  its  purpose  to  recapture  the  for- 
tresses of  the  United  States,  and  unfurl  once  more  the 
k^tars  and  Stripes  over  them. 

On  this  desolate  spot  the  rebels  had  erected  fortifica- 
tions. The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  get  the  island. 
So  the  Government  sent  the  good  steamer  Massachusetts 
with  a  company  of  marines  to  clear  the  sandbank  of 
traitors,  and  kindle  anew  the  light-house  lamp,  whose  flame 


206  LIFE    OF    ADMIIIAL    FAKKAGl'T. 

had  been  the  mariner's  guide  before  treason  put  it  out,  in 
the  attempt  to  extinguisn  the  hope  of  the  world  by  the 
overthrow  of  the  republic. 

General  Phelps,  commanding  the  Ninth  Connecticut 
and  Twenty-sixth  Massachusetts,  landed  on  the  island 
early  in  the  winter.  The  number  of  troops  was  soon  in- 
creased to  several  thousands.  With  the  advent  of  spring, 
Major-General  Butler  reached  Ship  Island,  to  the  joy 
of  the  "  boys,"  weary  of  the  inactivity  on  their  desert-like 
Juan  Fernandez. 

During  the  few  succeeding  weeks,  occasionally  a  shot 
was  exchanged  between  the  passing  rebel  steamers  and 
ours  protecting  the  harbor,  and  expeditious  were  sent  over 
to  the  main  land,  routing  the  enemy  there. 

Commodore  D.  D.  Porter's  mortar  fleet  of  twenty  ves- 
sels and  eight  steamers  towing  the  ammunition  schooners, 
arrived  from  Key  West.  Commodore  Porter  is  a  son 
worthy  of  hi?  sire,  of  Farragut's  old  friend  and  captain. 

April  15th  the  fleet  hoisted  sail  again,  and  soon  after 
joined  the  blockading  squadron  and  other  war-steamera 
from  the  east,  riding  in  the  Mississippi.  The  entire  ar- 
mada was  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Farragut, 
whose  flag-ship  was  the  Hartford.  Pilot  Town,  four  miles 
from  the  Gulf,  was  taken,  and  the  mortar  flotilla  anchored 
near  it. 

The  formidable  defences  of  the  southern  metropolis 
were  Forts  Jackaon  and  St.  Phillip,  sixty  miles  below  it, 


LIFE    OF    ADMIKAL    FAKRAGUT.  207 

two  magnificent  fortresses,  whose  scientific  and  elaborate 
construction  defied  attack  ;  and  the  garrisons  within  them, 
with  the  Confederacy  around  them,  laughed  the  united 
fleets  to  scorn.  They  were  reared  by  our  own  Govern- 
ment to  guard  from  foreign  invasion  the  common  pur 
chase  of  Revolutionary  blood.  They  stand  at  a  sharp 
bend  of  the  "  Father  of  Waters,"  and  before  them  the 
current  is  rapid. 

Fort  Jackson,  on  the  west  bank,  was  a  pentagonal 
fortress,  presenting  two  of  its  massive  brick  walls  to  the 
river,  and  three  facing  the  land.  On  the  former  are  six- 
teen casemated  guns,  and  on  the  other  sides  twenty-four 
pound  howitzers,  covering  with  their  fire  the  ditches.  A 
drawbridge,  ten  feet  in  width,  connects  it  with  the  main- 
land approach.  Three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant  is  Fort 
St.  Phillip,  on  the  opposite  shore,  and  above  Jackson. 
The  tremendous  armament  numbered  one  hundred  and 
eighty  pieces  of  different  calibre.  In  addition  to  these, 
an  iron  cable  was  stretched  across  the  river,  resting  on 
seven  old  hulks  anchored  in  the  current,  and  guarded  by  a 
well-manned  gunboat.  Still  higher  up  the  stream  were 
eighteen  iron-clads,  steam  rams,  and  floating  batteries. 
Fire-rafts  were  also  ready  to  be  ignited  and  sent  among 
an  invading  fleet.  It  is  not  strange  that  the  fifteen  hun- 
dred men  who  garrisoned  the  forts  felt  secure,  and 
awaited  scornfully  the  Yankee  naval  force. 

Hear  the  reply  of  the  gallant  Farragut,  when  officers 


208  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKBAGDT. 

of  English  and  French  war-ships  expressed  the  belief, 
which  a  Union  man  in  New  Orleans  had  previously 
written  in  his  correspondence  with  the  North,  "  No  fleet 
cmn  pass  up  the  river  without  a  miraculous  interposition :" 
"  You  may  be  right.  But  I  was  sent  here  to  make  the 
attempt.  I  came  here  to  reduce  or  pass  the  forts,  and 
to  take  New  Orleans,  and  I  shatt  try  if." 

The  preparation  to  move  toward  the  city  went  on  in  the 
fleet.  Sails  were  taken  down,  loose  rigging  made  fast  to 
the  masts,  decks  cleared,  and  armor  of  heavy  chain  cables 
stretched  along  the  sides  of  the  wooden  ships. 

He  called  a  council  of  war,  and  listened  patiently 
to  the  views  of  his  officers,  which  were  not  harmonious 
upon  the  daring  enterprise.  The  decision  of  the  com- 
manding mind  is  a  clear  scintillation  of  its  hitherto  uner- 
ring light,  embodied  in  a  general  order :  "  The  flag-officer 
having  heard  all  the  opinions  expressed  by  the  different 
commanders,  is  of  the  opinion,  that  whatever  is  to  be  done, 
will  have  to  be  done  quickly.  When,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
flag-officer,  the  propitious  time  has  arrived,  the  signal  will 
be  made  to  weigh  and  advance  to  the  conflict.  He  will 
make  a  signal  for  close  action,  and  abide  the  result — 
conquer  or  be  conquered" 

Of  these  men-of-war,  thus  stripped  for  combat,  says  a 
beholder :  "  They  have  an  air  of  strength  and  massiveness, 
vhich  is  simply  terrible." 

To  deceive  the  enemy,  the  vessels  were  daubed  with 


LIFE   OF    ADMIKAL    FAKKAGUT.  2  Iff! 

the  raud  of  the  river  banks,  rendering  them  almost  undis- 
tinguishable  in  the  distance  from  the  river,  colored  with 
the  same  material,  or  from  the  shores.  Commodore 
Porter,  son  of  Farragut's  old  friend,  contributed  largely, 
by  his  forethought  and  skill,  to  the  perfection  of  the  ar- 
rangements. Thus  the  two  "  middies,"  many  years  before, 
were  not  only  working  together,  but  were  worthy  of  their 
sire  and  commander.  It  wai  now  the  middle  of  April, 
1862. 

Six  gunboats,  with  their  masts  euwreathed  with  foli- 
age, to  resemble  the  forest  between  them  and  the  forte, 
which  concealed  the  hulls,  drift  along  in  close  procession. 
Nearing  the  enemy,  the  crews  added  the  oisguise  of 
marsh  reeds  and  other  vegetation,  fastened  to  the  vessels' 
sides.  The  Hartford,  Pensacola,  Richmond,  Brooklyn, 
and  Mississippi,  followed  the  mortars. 

On  the  15th,  a  sudden  alarm  was  signalled  through 
the  fleet.  Look  up  the  swift  current,  and  see  that  fiercely 
burning  bonfire  sweeping  right  down  upon  it.  A  raft 
with  its  cords  of  pine  in  a  blaze,  is  running  with  the  glow 
of  wrath  upon  the  Union  armada.  Providentially,  before 
reaching  its  goal  it  grounded  and  burned  to  the  water's 
edge.  Commodore  Porter  made  prompt  provision  for  a 
similar  assault.  One  hundred  and  fifty  boats  were  fur- 
nished with  picked  crews,  axes,  grapnel  ropes,  and  buck 
ets,  to  intercept  the  flaming  heralds  of  treason. 

The  night  came  down  with  neither  moon  nor  stars 
14 


210  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT. 

visible.  All  Mas  still  and  curtained  with  gloom,  through 
which  ship-lights  glimmered,  and  anxious  eyes  were  peer- 
ing for  signs  of  danger.  The  grim  war-ships  lay  quietly, 
only  as  their  hearts  of  iron  throbbed  with  fiery  impatience 
for  the  coming  conflict.  A  gleam  of  fire  !  Then  the  sig- 
nal rockets  streamed  through  the  night.  A  little  nearer, 
and  the  fire-raft  was  discovered  again  rushing  down  the 
tide.  The  hundred  and  fifty  boats  were  soon  moving  like 
spectres  through  the  darkness.  A  few  gunboats  also  left 
their  moorings.  Over  all  was  shed  the  lurid  light  of  the 
floating  fire,  reddening  the  shores  with  its  fearful  torch 
of  civil  strife.  The  gunboats  passed  the  hissing  raft,  the 
smaller  boats  darted  around  it  to  secure  it  and  drag  it 
away  from  the  fleet.  Such  a  scene  is  rarely  beheld  even  in 
time  of  war.  "Words  of  command,  blows  of  the  axes,  the 
hammer  driving  home  the  fastening,  echoed  in  the  weird 
Hght  of  the  strange  wild  scene.  Then  away  the  fire-pile 
moved,  and  jn  a  few  moments  expires.  Silence  was  re- 
stored, and  nature  reposed  under  the  wings  of  darkness. 

The  1 6th  brought  the  defiant  challenge  from  Fort  Jack- 
son, in  the  form  of  a  shell  falling  among  the  Union  fleet. 
The  mortar-boats  replied  with  a  terrific  bombardment — 
each  of  their  three  divisions  firing  two  hours  in  succession, 
then  pausing  to  cool.  Thus  passed  the  first  day's  conflict, 
sending  its  ominous  echoes  away  to  the  doomed  city.  A 
week  passed,  and  yet  no  substantial  progress  had  been 
made  in  reducing  the  forts.  The  admiral  formed  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  211 

bold  design  of  moving  by  the  gigantic  guardians  of  the 
Mississippi,  through  chains,  floating  batteries,  and  rams. 

At  midnight  of  21st,  Lieutenant  Commander  Crosby, 
of  the  Pinola,  Lieutenant  Commander  Caldwell,  of  the 
Itnsca.  stole  up  the  stream  to  the  chain,  right  under  the 
guns  which  could  have  soon  destroyed  them  if  they  were 
discovered,  and  broke  it.  Just  at  this  crisis  was  displayed 
the  comprehensive  and  executive  genius  of  the  admiral. 
When  the  chain  was  cut,  and  the  boats  supporting  it 
sagged  asunder — prevented  from  swinging  by  the  anchors 
to  which  each  rode — there  was  left  in  the  centre  a  gap 
or  passage-way  like  the  opening  of  a  drawbridge.  There- 
upon the  rebels  built,  lit,  and  maintained  large  fires  on 
either  side  of  the  river,  so  that  when  Farragut  •  should 
attempt  to  pass  by  night,  their  blaze  would  not  only  render 
his  movements  visible  to  every  battery,  but  enable  the 
forts  to  bring  a  complete  cross-fire  to  bear  upon  him. 
Some  of  the  admiral's  officers  suggested  that  nothing  would 
be  easier  than  to  send  a  few  boat-crews  ashore  and  extin- 
guish the  fires.  "  No  !  no  !  by  no  means,"  said  the  com- 
mander, "  those  fires  are  the  light-houses  by  which  I  mean 
to  steam  through  the  gap  in  the  chain,  throw  a  few  shells 
or  shot  at  them,  to  give  the  rebels  an  idea  that  we  want 
them  to  put  them  out,  and  thus  incite  them  to  more  stren- 
uous exertions  to  keep  them  bright  and  alive."  The  re- 
sult proved  the  wisdom  of  the  admiral's  instant  decision 
of  mind. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Hie  Advance— The  Terrible  Conflict— The  Fire-raft  and  Rams—  Victor/  - 
TbanksRlvinK— Anecdotes  of  the  Admiral— The  Effect  of  the  Victory  OB 
the  Nation—  Up  the  River— Passing  Port  Hudson— The  Second  Gauntlet 
of  Fire. 

S  the  signal  arose  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  24th,  which  was  two  red  lights,  too  com- 
mon to  attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  Com- 
modore Farragut's  fleet  started  on  its  voyage  of 
victory  or  ruin.  The  advance  was  made  in  two 
columns.  In  the  van  were  the  three  magnificent  ships, 
the  Hartford,  the  Brooklyn,  and  the  Richmond,  followed 
by  the  gunboats  Sciota,  Iroquois,  Kennebec,  Pinola,  Itas- 
oa,  and  Winona ;  the  second  column  by  the  Pensacola 
•ind  the  Mississippi.  They  all  made  for  the  chasm  in  the 
barrier  of  hulks  and  chains,  keeping  up  an  incessant  fire 
upon  the  forts,  and,  as  one  after  another  they  passed 
through,  the  vessels  of  the  first  division  ranged  themselves 
to  assail  Fort  St.  Philip,  and  the  second  Fort  Jackson, 
while  all  alike  were  prepared  to  attack  and  repel  the 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARE AG IT.  213 

rebel  rams  and  gunboats,  as  occasion  might  require.  "  It 
may  be  safely  said  that  such  a  naval  conflict  was  never 
winessed  on  this  earth  before.  The  enemy  were  on  the 
alert,  and  the  beacon-fires  soon  blazed  so  brightly  as  to 
expose  every  movement  of  the  fleet ;  and  the  whole 
stormy  scene  was  illumined  with  a  lurid  glare,  which 
added  vastly  to  its  sublimity,  and  its  almost  fiendlike 
horror.  The  Cayuga  was  the  first  which  passed  the 
chain-boom,  under  a  terrible  fire  from  both  of  the  forts, 
which  struck  her  repeatedly  from  stem  to  stern.  The 
rest  of  the  squadron  rapidly  followed.  They  were  now 
directly  abreast  of  the  forts,  exposed  to  the  direct  action 
of  their  guns,  while  the  river  above  was  crowded  with 
the  fire-rafts,  rams,  and  gunboats  of  the  foe. 

"  They  all  came  plunging  down  together  upon  the 
heroic  fleet.  First  came  an  immense  fire-raft,  pushed  by 
the  ram  Manassas,  directly  upon  the  flag-ship  Hartford. 
In  endeavoring  to  avoid  it,  the  ship  was  crowded  ashore, 
and  the  flaming  raft  was  pushed  down  upon  its  side.  In 
a  moment  the  majestic  ship  seemed  enveloped  in  flames, 
halfway  up  to  her  tops.  Fortunately  the  ship  was  backed 
off  from  the  shoal,  and  by  immense  exertions  of  the  fire 
department  the  flames  were  extinguished.  The  thunder 
of  over  three  hundred  guns  from  the  forts,  the  rebel  gun- 
boats, and  the  national  fleet,  joined  with  the  distant  boom* 
ing  of  the  mortars,  filled  the  air  with  a  continuous  roar, 
loader  than  heaven's  heaviest  thunders. 


214  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

"  Red-hot  shot  and  bursting  shell  were  falling  with 
frightful  execution  on  ship  and  battlement.  The  whole 
scene  was  soon  so  enveloped  in  the  sulphurous  smoke  of 
the  battle,  that  friends  could  with  difficulty  be  distin- 
guished from  foes,  and  often  the  flash  of  opposing  guna 
alone  guided  the  fire.  The  rebels  fought  with  that 
desperation  which  was  to  be  expected  of  Americans,  even 
when  engaged  in  an  infamous  cause.  While  the  national 
ships  were  yet  under  the  fire  of  the  forts,  they  were  as- 
sailed by  the  monster  rams  and  floating  batteries  which 
the  foe  held  in  reserve.  These  enormous  rams,  aided  by 
the  swift  current,  and  under  full  headway  of  steam,  dashed 
with  their  iron  prows  upon  our  ships,  discharging  at  close 
range  their  heavy  guns  as  reckless  as  if  no  harm  could 
touch  them.  It  is  impossible  to  recount  the  exploits  of 
the  gallant  men  who  fought  beneath  the  stars  and  stripes, 
in  these  hours  of  deadly  encounter. 

"  Every  ship  in  the  fleet  signalized  itself  by  heroism 
which  could  not  be  surpassed.  We  cannot  record  the 
deeds  of  all ;  let  us  allude  to  a  few  as  specimens  of  the 
rest.  The  United  States  steamship  Brooklyn,  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  while  exposed  to  the  hottest  fire,  became  en- 
tangled in  the  barricading  hulks  and  chains.  In  attempt* 
ing  to  extricate  the  ship  her  bow  grazed  the  shore.  She, 
however,  worked  her  way  through,  when  the  ram  Ma- 
nassas  came  rushing  upon  her  from  the  gloom.  At  the 
distance  of  ten  feet  the  ram  discharged  her  shot,  which 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT.  215 

pierced  the  ship,  and  then,  with  a  crash,  struck  her  side, 
battering  in  the  starboard  gangway.  The  chain  armor 
saved  the  ship  from  destruction,  and  the  ram  slid  off  and 
disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

"  Fort  Jackson,  in  the  liftings  of  the  smoke,  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  majestic  ship,  and  opened  upon  her  u 
raking  fire.  Just  then  a  large  rebel  steamer  came  rush- 
ing up  on  the  port  broadside.  When  at  the  distance  of 
but  sixty  yards,  the  Brooklyn  poured  into  the  audacious 
stranger  one  single  volley  of  shell  and  red-hot  shot,  and 
the  fragments  of  the  steamer,  in  a  mass  of  crackling  flame, 
drifted  down  the  stream. 

"  The  Brooklyn,  still  groping  its  way  along,  lighted  by 
the  flames  of  an  approaching  fire-raft,  and  yet  enveloped 
in  ils  resinous  smoke,  soon  found  itself  abreast  of  St. 
Philip,  almost  touching  the  shore.  The  ship  chanced  to 
be  in  such  a  position  that  she  could  bring  almost  every 
gun  to  bear.  Tarrying  for  a  moment,  she  poured  into 
the  fort  such  a  storm  of  grape  and  canister  as  completely 
to  silence  the  work.  The  men  stationed  in  the  tops  of 
the  frigate  said  that,  by  the  light  of  their  bursting  shrap- 
nels, they  could  see  the  garrison  '  running  like  sheep  for 
more  comfortable  quarters.' 

"  The  Brooklyn  then  rushed  into  the  nest  of  rebel  gun- 
boats, fighting  them  indiscriminately,  with  her  broadsides 
striking  the  most  terrific  blows,  and  continuing  the  con- 
test, in  connection  with  the  other  vessels,  for  an  hour  and 


216  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT. 

a  half,  until  the  rebel  fleet  was  annihilated.  After  the 
action  was  over,  Commodore  Farragut  took  the  hand  of 
Capt.  Craven,  of  the  Brooklyn,  in  both  of  his,  and  said : 
*  You  and  your  noble  ship  have  been  the  salvation  of 
my  squadron.  You  were  in  a  complete  blaze  of  fire ; 
so  much  so  that  I  supposed  your  ship  was  burning  up. 
I  never  saw  such  rapid  and  precise  firing.  It  never  was 
surpassed,  and  probably  never  was  equalled.' 

"  The  Mississippi  encountered  the  ram  Manassas, 
rushing  upon  her  at  full  speed.  The  noble  old  frigate,  un- 
daunted, instead  of  evading  the  blow,  turned  to  meet  her 
antagonist,  and,  with  all  steam  on,  made  a  plunge  at  the 
monster.  Just  as  the  blow  was  to  come  which  would 
decide  whose  head  was  to  be  broken  open,  the  Manassas, 
taking  counsel  of  discretion,  dodged.  But  as  she  glided 
by,  a  point-blank  broadside  from  the  immense  armament 
of  the  Mississippi,  swept  off  her  smoke-stack,  crashed 
through  her  iron  sides,  and  set  her  on  fire.  The  crew 
took  to  the  shore,  and  the  redoubtable  ram  drifted,  a 
total  wreck,  down  the  stream.  The  nondescript  monster 
presented  a  curious  spectacle,  as  she  floated  along,  the 
flames  bursting  through  the  broken  chinks  of  her  mail, 
her  shot-fractures,  and  her  port-holes.  Commodore  Por- 
ter wishing  to  save  her  as  a  curiosity,  sent  some  boats  to 
pass  a  hawser  around  the  ram  and  secure  it  to  the  shore. 
Scarcely  was  this  done  when  the  monster  uttered,  as  it 
were,  an  expiring  groan,  as  the  water  rushed  in,  driviny 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FAKliAGL'T.  217 

the  air  and  the  belching  flames  through  her  bow-port,  and 
then,  '  like  a  huge  animal,  she  gave  a  plunge  and  dis- 
appeared under  the  water.'  The  achievements  of  the 
Varuna,  uader  Captain  Boggs,  were  among  the  crownins? 
glories  of  this  eventful  day.  It  has  been  well  said,  he 
;  fought  a  battle  fully  equal  in  desperate  hardihood  and 
resolute  bravery  to  the  famous  sea-fight  of  John  Paul 
Jones,  which  nothing  human  could  surpass.'  After 
taking  or  destroying  six  of  the  enemy's  vessels,  an  un- 
armored  point  was  pierced,  and  while  the  water  rushed 
in,  the  crew  jumped  into  the  boats  of  the  Oneida, 
sent  for  their  rescue,  as  she  went  down  with  her  dead, 
'victorious  in  death,'  her  flag  still  flying,  covered  with 
glory." 

The  next  morning  dawned  on  drifting  wrecks  and 
smoke,  through  and  beyond  which  the  Union  fleet  was 
marching  for  New  Orleans.  A  despatch  was  sent  to 
General  Butler  that  the  way  was  clear  for  landing  hia 
troops.  Soon  after,  at  noon,  the  armada,  having  had 
only  three  gunboats  disabled,  thirty  men  killed,  and 
one  hundred  and  ten  wounded,  moored  in  front  of 
the  city. 

The  pride  of  the  boastful  chivalry,  already  humbled 
on  the  26th,  was  fallen,  and  in  the  dust,  under  the  na- 
tional colors  floating  from  the  public  buildings. 

After  the  victory  was  complete,  he  issued  an  order  foi 
the  observance  of  "  thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God  *  foi 


218  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAREAGUT. 

the  success.  He  did  not  blush  to  acknowledge  his  de« 
pendence  upon  Him  before  whom  even  "  the  nations  are 
as  grasshoppers" — an  illustrious  example  of  a  warrior 
commending  the  Gospel  of  Peace. 

He  can  be  stern  and  severe  when  duty  requires  it 
As  he  was  standing  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  flag-ship 
of  New  Orleans,  a  gunboat  started  out  from  the  dock, 
and  not  making  allowance  for  the  current,  ran  directly 
into  the  bows  of  the  flag-ship,  doing  considerable  injury. 
"  Who  commands  that  vessel  ?"  asked  the  indignant 
Admiral.  On  being  informed,  he  said,  "  Send  that  child 
home.  Send  that  child  home."  In  a  few  moments 
another  officer  was  sent  on  board  to  take  command. 

Among  the  anecdotes  that  disclose  his  kindness,  and 
patient  attention  to  the  wants  of  those  under  his  com- 
mand, is  a  pleasant  incident  that  occurred  about  this 
time.  At  one  time,  as  he  was  going  on  board  one  of  the 
vessels  at  New  Orleans,  all  the  firemen  met  him  at  the 
gangway,  and  asked  if  a  wind-sail  might  be  put  down 
into  the  fire-room  to  give  them  more  air.  "  Certainly," 
said  the  admiral,  "  you  should  have  had  one  before." 
He  then  ordered  the  captain  of  the  ship  to  give  them  the 
largest  wind-sail  that  could  be  made — and  it  was  done. 

Then  followed  the  landing  of  the  troops  of  General 
Butler  near  Fort  St.  Philip  ;  the  surrender  of  the  fortress ; 
the  terrific  explosion  of  the  rebel  battery,  the  Louisiana ; 
and  the  triumphant  administration  of  the  civil  hero  of 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  219 

New  Orleans — the  commander  of  the  land  forces  in  th« 
Conquest. 

In  every  view  the  victory  was  a  grand  success  for  the 
Union  cause.  Six  forts,  eighteen  gunboats,  and  twelve 
hundred  prisoners  were  taken.  The  proudest  rebel  city 
was  captured,  and  all  rebeldom  groaned  over  the  loss, 
while  affecting  indifference  as  to  the  ultimate  result  upon 
the  contest.  The  tidings,  "  New  Orleans  is  taken  !  " 
flew  over  the  land  on  lightning-wing,  causing  the  wildest 
enthusiasm. 

Congress  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  hero  of  the 
great  victory,  and  the  President  added  his  own  warm 
congratulations.  With  New  Orleans  safely  under  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  Flag-Officer  Farragut  pushed  up  the 
"  Father  of  Waters."  On  the  27th  he  reached  and  passed 
the  batteries  above  the  city  without  injury. 

The  object  of  the  expedition  was  to  communicate  with 
1  lag-Officer  Davis,  commanding  the  Mississippi  squadron, 
look  after  the  rebel  ram  Arkansas,  and  complete  arrange- 
ments for  a  joint  attack  on  Vicksburg.  A  bombardment 
proved  fruitless,  because  the  high  banks,  bristling  with 
ordnance,  could  not  be  battered  down,  nor  the  fortress 
taken  by  shot  from  the  decks  of  the  fleet,  without  the  co- 
operation of  land  forces.  Eighteen  days  later,  Farragut 
returned,  successfully  repassed  the  batteries,  and  made 
Pensacola  the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  squadron. 
Meanwhile  Congress  had  made  a  law  creating  the  rank 


220  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT. 

of  rear-adiniral,  and  conferred  on  him,  July  llth,  its 
earliest  honors,  for  his  brilliant  conduct  at  New  Or- 
leans. 

Texas  now  became  the  field  mainly  of  the  admiral's 
operations.  An  expedition  was  ordered  in  the  autumn 
against  Corpus  Christi,  followed  by  others  against  Sabine 
Pass  and  Galveston,  all  of  which  were  successful  in  cap- 
turing the  important  points.  Several  months  were  occu- 
pied in  similar  operations.  The  guerrilla?  and  rebel 
towns  on  the  coast,  and  blockade-runners  for  Mobile 
and  Galveston,  all  received  his  unwearied  attention. 
With  the  advent  of  the  spring  of  1863,  a  larger  theatre 
for  the  lion  of  naval  warfare  opened. 

General  Sherman's  expedition  against  Vicksburg  in 
the  winter  had  failed,  because  the  cowardly  surrender  of 
Holly  Springs  deranged  the  magnificent  plans  of  General 
Grant  in  connection  with  him,  and  another  attempt  was 
to  be  made. 

General  Grant  had  determined  to  get  in  the  rear  of 
Vkksburg,  and  wanted  Admiral  Farragut  to  sail  above 
Port  Hudson,  while  Admiral  Foote  went  below  Vicks- 
burg, uniting  in  the  reduction  of  batteries  there,  to  clear 
the  way  for  Grant,  whose  troops  were  to  advance  down 
the  west  side  of  the  river ;  and  otherwise  to  aid  the  bold 
enterprise  as  he  might  have  opportunity.  Admiral  Far- 
ragut at  once  led  with  his  flag-ship,  the  Hartford,  followed 
by  the  Richmond,  the  Mississippi,  the  Monongahela,  with 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGU1.  221 

the  gunboats  Kineo,  Albatross,  and  Genesee,  and  six  mor- 
tar-boats ;  the  latter  were  to  assist  in  the  bombardment, 
but  remain  below  the  batteries. 

The  fleet  moved  toward  Port  Hudson  near  the  middle 
of  March.  On  the  14th  just  after  noon,  the  mortars 
opened  their  fire  on  the  fortifications,  second  to  none  in 
strength  but  those  at  Vicksburg,  on  the  Mississippi.  A 
detachment  of  troops  was  also  sent  in  the  rear,  to  confuse 
the  garrisons,  while  the  admiral  got  ready  for  his  night- 
work.  Then  occurred  one  of  those  grand  and  unusual 
exhibitions  of  naval  warfare,  of  which  the  passage  of 
Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip  was  unrivalled  in  terrible 
sublimity.  The  evening  was  dark,  but  Confederate  scouts 
had  watched  the  Union  fleet,  and  given  notice  of  prepara- 
tion for  some  movement  to  the  garrison. 

Immediately  a  tremendous  bonfire  was  kindled  on  the 
heights,  and  poured  its  flood  of  lurid  light  down  the  cannon- 
bordered  bluffs  upon  the  waters  just  where  the  ships  would 
pass  the  most  formidable  works.  In  the  reflected  flames, 
each  vessel  and  its  motions  would  be  distinctly  visible  as 
in  the  light  of  day.  It  was  a  crisis  to  try  the  metal  not 
only  of  ordnance,  but  of  the  Admiral's  character.  He  had 
never  quailed  in  the  moment  of  peril,  and  now  was  calmer 
than  ever.  Right  onward  toward  the  flashing  surface 
over  which  frowned  the  heaviest  rebel  cannon,  his  squad- 
ron advanced. 

A  description  of  what  followed,  already  written,  I  laid 


222  LIFE    OF   ADMLBAL    FARKAGUT. 

aside,  my  young  reader,  to  give  you  instead  extracts  from 
a  letter  penned  on  board  the  Richmond,  a  most  graphic, 
vivid  picture  of  the  naval  action.  You  find  the  good  name 
Essex  again : 

"  We  had  left  the  mortar-boats  well  astern,  when  u 
sulphurous  light  was  seen  gleaming  on  the  shore,  on  oar 
port  side.  Flashing  up  for  a  moment,  a  dull  explosion 
followed.  It  was  evidently  an  imperfect  rocket.  Another 
was  essayed ;  but,  instead  of  ascending,  it  ran  along  the 
surface  of  the  river  close  to  the  bank.  A  little  further  up 
a  third  was  tried,  and  with  complete  success.  It  ascended 
high  in  the  air,  where  it  burst  in  the  usual  manner.  In- 
stantaneously it  was  answered  by  a  field-piece  from  the 
opposite  shore,  aimed  at  the  Hartford.  The  Admiral  was 
not  slow  in  returning  the  compliment.  Three  or  four 
guns  fired  from  the  flag-ship  in  rapid  succession  testified 
to  the  alacrity  with  which  the  wager  of  battle  was  ac- 
cepted. 

"  The  return  of  the  rebel  fire  by  the  Hartford,  was 
promptly  followed  up  by  a  hot  fire  from  the  artillery 
pieces  of  the  rebels,  and  quite  a  brisk  action  ensued  be- 
tween them.  The  scene,  as  viewed  from  the  Richmond 
was  both  brilliant  and  spirited.  The  flashes  of  the  guns, 
both  on  shore  and  afloat,  were  incessant,  while  the  roar 
of  cannon  kept  up  a  deafening  and  almost  incessant  sound. 
Great  judgment  was  here  necessary  to  prevent  the  Rich- 
mond from  running  into  the  Hartford,  and,  in  fact,  to 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FAEIIAGUT.  223 

keep  the  war- vessels  generally  from  running  into  eact 
other. 

"  And  now  was  heard  a  thundering  roar,  equal  in 
volume  to  a  whole  park  of  artillery.  This  was  followed 
by  a  rushing  sound,  accompanied  by  a  howling  noise  that 
beggars  description.  Again  and  again  was  the  sound  re- 
peated, till  the  vast  expanse  of  heaven  rang  with  the  awful 
minstrelsy.  It  was  apparent  that  the  mortar-boats  had 
opened  fire.  Of  this  I  was  soon  convinced  on  casting  my 
eyes  aloft.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  sight  that  then  met 
my  astonished  vision.  Shooting  upward  at  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees,  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  small 
globes  of  golden  flame  were  seen  sailing  through  the  pure 
ether — not  a  steady,  unfading  flame,  but  corruscating  like 
the  fitful  gleam  of  a  fire-fly — now  visible  and  anon  invisi- 
ble. Like  a  flying  star  of  the  sixth  magnitude,  the  terri- 
ble missile — a  thirteen-inch  shell — nears  its  z?nith,  up  and 
still  up — higher  and  higher.  Its  flight  now  becomes  much 
slower,  till  on  reaching  its  utmost  altitude,  its  centrifugal 
force  becomes  counteracted  by  the  earth's  attraction,  it 
describes  a  parabolic  curve,  and  down,  down  it  conies, 
bursting,  it  may  be,  ere  it  reaches  terra  firma,  but  proba- 
bly alighting  in  the  rebel  works  ere  it  explodes,  where  it 
scatters  death  and  destruction  around.  But  while  the 
mortar-boats  were  at  work,  the  Essex  was  not  idle.  Un- 
manageable as  she  is,  especially  in  so  strong  a  current, 
she  did  not  follow  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  but  remained  al 


224:  LIFE    OF    ADMiHAL    FAKRAGUT. 

the  head  of  the  '  bummers,'  doing  admirable  service  with 
her  heavy  guns. 

"  All  this  time  the  Richmond  had  to  hang  back,  as 
Admiral  Farragut  seemed  to  be  so  enamored  with  the 
sport  in  which  he  was  engaged  as  to  be  in  no  hurry  to 
pass  by.  Once  or  twice,  in  consequence  of  the  der.se 
column  of  smoke  that  now  rolled  over  the  river,  our  bow- 
sprit was  almost  over  the  taffrail  of  the  Hartford,  and 
there  was  an  incessant  call  on  the  part  of  Second  Lieuten- 
ant Terry,  who  commanded  the  forward  part  of  the  ship, 
to  stop  the  engines.  And  here  I  may  as  well  say  tha*. 
this  gallant  young  officer  behaved  in  the  most  chivalrous 
manner  throughout  the  entire  engagement,  cheering  on  the 
men,  and  encouraging  them,  by  his  example,  to  stand  to 
their  guns  like  men,  though  little  of  this  they  required  to 
induce  them  to  perform  their  whole  duty. 

"  The  Richmond  had  by  this  time  got  within  range 
of  the  rebel  field-batteries,  which  opened  fire  on  her.  I 
had  all  along  thought  that  we  would  open  fire  from  oui 
bow-guns,  on  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  and  that,  after 
discharging  a  few  broadsides  from  the  starboard  side,  the 
action  would  be  wound  up  by  a  parting  compliment  from 
our  stern-chasers.  To  my  surprise,  however,  we  opened 
at  once  from  our  broadside  guns.  The  effect  was  start- 
ling, as  the  sound  was  unexpected ;  but  beyond  this  I  really 
experienced  no  inconvenience  from  the  concussion.  There 
was  nothing  unpleasant  to  the  ear,  and  the  jar  to  the  ship 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  225 

was  really  quite  unappreciable.  It  may  interest  the  un- 
initiated to  be  informed  how  a  broadside  is  fired  from  a 
vessel-of-war.  I  was  told  on  board  the  Richmond  that  all 
the  guns  were  sometimes  fired  off  simultaneously,  though 
it  is  not  a  very  usual  course,  as  it  strains  the  ship.  Last 
night  the  broadsides  were  fired  by  commencing  at  the  for- 
ward gun,  and  firing  all  the  rest  off  in  rapid  succession, 
as  fast  almost  as  the  ticking  of  a  watch.  The  effect  was 
grand  and  terrific  ;  and,  if  the  guns  were  rightly  pointed — 
a  difficult  thing  in  the  dark,  by  the  way — they  could  not 
fail  in  carrying  death  and  destruction  among  the  enemy. 

"  Of  course  we  did  not  have  every  thing  our  own  way, 
for  the  enemy  poured  in  his  shot  and  shell  as  thick  as  hail. 
Over,  ahead,  astern,  all  around  us  flew  the  death-dealing 
missiles,  the  hissing,  screaming,  whistling,  shrieking,  aud 
howling  of  which  rivalled  Pandemonium.  It  must  not  be 
supposed,  however,  that  because  our  broadside-guns  were 
the  tools  we  principally  worked,  that  our  bow  and  stern- 
chasers  were  idle .  We  soon  opened  with  our  bow  eighty- 
pounder  Dahlgren,  which  was  followed  up  not  long  after 
by  the  guns  astern,  giving  evidence  to  the  fact  that  we  had 
passed  some  of  the  batteries. 

"  While  seated  on  the  '  fish-davit,'  on  the  top-gallant 
forecastle — the  Hartford  and  the  Richmond  blazing  away 
at  the  time — a  most  fearful  wail  arose  from  the  river,  firs! 
on  our  port-bow  then  on  the  beam.  A  man  was  evidently 
overboard,  probably  from  the  Hartford  or  the  Genesee, 
15 


226  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

then  just  ahead.  The  cry  was  :  '  Help,  oh  !  help  ! ' '  Help, 
oh  !  help  ! '  '  Man  overboard,'  called  out  Lieutenant  Terry  ; 
'  throw  him  a  rope.'  But,  poor  fellow,  who  could  assist 
him  in  such  a  strait  ?  We  were  in  action  ;  every  man  waa 
at  his  gun  ;  to  lower  a  boat  would  be  folly  ;  in  fact,  it  could 
not  be  done  with  any  hope  of  success.  Consequently, 
although  the  man  was  evidently  a  good  swimmer,  to 
judge  by  his  unfailing  cries  for  help  for  a  long  time, 
nothing  could  be  done  to  rescue  him,  and  he  floated  astern 
of  us,  still  sending  up  that  wailing  cry  for  help,  but  with- 
out effect.  The  tewible  current  of  the  Mississippi  was 
too  much  for  him,  and  he,  without  doubt,  sank  beneath 
the  waves  of  the  mighty  river. 

"  Just  after  this  fearful  incident  firing  was  heard  astern 
of  us,  and  it  was  soon  ascertained  that  the  Monongahela, 
with  her  consort,  the  Kineo,  and  the  Mississippi  were  in 
action.  The  Monongahela  carries  a  couple  of  two  hun- 
dred-pounder ruled  Parrott  guns,  besides  other  ticklers. 
At  first  I  credited  the  roar  of  her  amiable  two  hundred- 
pounders  to  the  '  bummers,'  till  I  was  undeceived,  when 
I  recalled  my  experience  in  front  of  Yorktown  last  spring, 
and  the  opening  of  fire  from  similar  guns  from  Wonnley's 
Creek.  All  I  can  say  is,  the  noise  was  splendid.  The 
action  now  became  general.  The  roar  of  cannon  was 
incessant,  and  the  flashes  from  the  guns,  together  with 
with  the  flight  of  the  shells  from  the  mortar-boats,  made 
up  a  combination  of  sound  and  sight  impossible  to  describe. 


LIFE   OF    ADMIKAL    FAKKAGUT.  227 

To  add  to  the  horrors  of  the  night,  while  it  contributed 
toward  the  enhancement  of  a  certain  terrible  beauty,  dense 
clouds  of  smoke  began  to  envelop  the  river,  shutting  out 
from  view  the  several  vessels,  and  confounding  them  with 
the  batteries.  It  was  very  difficult  to  know  how  to  steer 
to  prevent  running  ashore,  perhaps  right  under  a  rebel 
battery,  or  into  a  consort.  Upward  and  upward  rolled 
the  smoke,  shutting  out  of  view  the  beautiful  stars  and 
obscuring  the  vision  on  every  side.  Then  it  was  that  the 
order  was  passed  :  4  Boys,  don't  fire  till  you  see  the  flash 
from  the  enemy's  guns.'  That  was  our  only  guide  through 
the  '  palpable  obscurity.' 

**  But  this  sole  dependence  ou  the  flashes  was  likely 
to  be  attended  with  serious  consequence,  as  the  following 
incident  will  show  : 

"  We  had  got  nearly  into  the  middle  of  the  hornet's 
nest,  when  an  officer  on  the  top-gallant  forecastle  called 
out :  '  Ready  with  the  port-gun.'  The  gun  was  got  ready 
and  pointed,  and  was  about  to  be  discharged,  when  Lieu- 
tenant Perry  called  out :  '  Hold  on  ;  you  are  about  to  fire 
into  the  Hartford.'  And  such  was  the  fact ;  for  the  flash 
of  the  Hartford's  guns  at  that  moment  revealed  the  spars 
and  rigging  of  that  vessel.  Consequently  the  gun  was 
not  fired,  nor  was  it  discharged  during  the  engagement, 
the  fighting  being  confined  entirely  to  the  starboard  side. 

»4  Still  the  fight  went  on,  and  still  the  roar  of  canuon 
and  the  screaming,  howling,  whistling  of  shot  and  shell 


228  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAURAGUT. 

continued  to  make  '  night  hideous.'  Still,  too,  the  pure 
atmosphere  was  befouled  with  the  smell  of '  villanous  salt- 
petre '  and  obscured  with  srnoke,  through  the  opaque  mass 
)f  which  the  stars  refused  to  twinkle.  Intermingled  with 
the  boom  of  the  cannonade  arose  the  cries  of  the  wounded 
and  the  shouts  of  their  friends,  suggesting  that  they  should 
be  taken  below  for  treatment.  So  thick  was  the  smoke 
that  we  had  to  cease  firing  several  times  ;  and  to  add  to 
the  horrors  of  the  night  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  tell 
whether  we  were  running  into  the  Hartford  or  going 
ashore,  and,  if  the  latter,  on  which  bank,  or  whether 
some  of  the  other  vessels  were  about  to  run  into  us  or 
into  each  other.  All  this  time  the  fire  was  kept  up  on 
both  sides  incessantly.  It  seems,  however,  that  we  suc- 
ceeded in  silencing  the  lower  batteries  of  field-pieces. 
The  men  must  have  been  driven  from  their  guns  ;  and  no 
wonder  if  they  were,  in  that  terrific  storm  of  iron. 

"  While  a  brisk  fire  was  kept  up  from  the  decks  of  the 
several  vessels,  the  howitzers  in  the  tops  were  not  per- 
mitted to  remain  idle.  Intermingled  with  the  more  sul- 
len roar  of  the  larger  guns,  the  sharp,  short  crack  of  the 
brass  pieces  was  heard  from  their  elevated  positions,  add- 
ing harmony  to  the  melody  of  the  terrific  concert. 

"The  phrase  is  familiar  to  most  persons  who  have 
read  accounts  of  sea-fights  that  took  place  about  fifty, 
years  ago  ;  but  it  is  difficult  for  the  uninitiated  to  realize 
all  the  horrors  conveved  in  '  muzzle  to  muzzle.'  For  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT.  229 

first  time  I  had,  last  night,  an  opportunity  of  knowing 
what  the  phrase  really  meant.  Let  the  reader  consult 
the  map,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  the  central  battery  is 
situated  about  the  middle  of  the  segment  of  a  circle  I  have 
already  compared  to  a  horse-shoe  in  shape,  though  it  may 
be  better  understood  by  the  term  '  crescent.'  This  battery 
stands  on  a  bluff  so  high  that  a  vessel  in  passing  immedi- 
ately underneath  cannot  elevate  her  guns  sufficiently  to 
reach  those  on  the  battery ;  neither  can  the  guns  on  the 
battery  be  sufficiently  depressed  to  bear  on  the  passing 
ship.  In  this  position  the  rebel  batteries  on  the  two  horns 
of  the  crescent  can  enfilade  the  passing  vessel,  pouring  in 
a  terrible  cross-fire,  which  the  vessel  can  return,  though 
at  a  great  disadvantage,  from  her  bow  and  stern-chasers. 
"  We  fully  realized  this  last  night ;  for,  as  we  got 
within  short-range,  the  enemy  poured  into  us  a  terrible 
fire  of  grape  and  canister,  which  we  were  not  slow  to  re- 
turn—our guns  being  double-shotted,  each  with  a  stand 
of  both  grape  and  canister.  Every  vessel  in  its  turn  waa 
exposed  to  the  same  fiery  ordeal  on  nearing  the  centre 
battery,  and  right  promptly  did  their  gallant  tars  return 
the  compliment.  This  was  the  hottest  part  of  the  engage- 
ment. We  were  literally  muzzle  to  muzzle,  the  distance 
between  us  and  the  enemy's  guns  being  not  more  than 
twenty  yards,  though  to  me  it  seemed  to  be  only  as  many 
feet.  In  fact,  the  battle  of  Port  Hudson  has  been  pro- 
nounced by  officers  and  seamen  who  were  engaged  in  it, 


LIFE   OF   ADMIEAL    FAKKAGUT. 

and  who  were  present  at  the  passage  of  Fort  St.  Philip 
and  Fort  Jackson,  below  New  Orleans,  and  had  partici- 
pated in  the  fights  of  Fort  Donelson,  Fort  Henry,  Island 
Number  Ten,  Vicksburg,  etc.,  as  the  severest  in  the 
naval  history  of  the  present  war. 

"  Shortly  after  this  close  engagemement  we  seemed 
to  have  passed  the  worst.  The  enemy's  shot  and  shell 
no  longer  swept  our  decks  like  a  hail-storm ;  but  the  fire 
from  the  batteries  was  kept  up  in  a  desultory  manner. 
The  starboard  bow-gun  could  no  -longer  be  brought  to 
bear.  Consequently  Lieutenant  Terry  ordered  the  men 
on  the  top-gallant  forecastle  to  leave  the  guns  in  that  part 
of  the  ship,  and  to  descend  to  the  main  deck  to  help  work 
the  broadside  guns.  Our  stern-chasers,  of  course,  were 
still  available,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  enemy  a 
parting  blessing.  I  left  my  station  on  the  top-gallant 
forecastle  shortly  after  the  men  who  had  been  working 
the  bow-guns,  and  passed  under  where  I  had  been  sitting, 
taking  up  my  station  on  the  port  side,  just  opposite  the 
forward  gun  on  the  starboard  side,  where  but  a  few  min- 
utes before  a  shell  had  exploded. 

"  I  was  not  long  in  this  position  when  there  came  a 
blinding  flash  through  the  very  port  I  was  opposite  to,  re- 
vealing a  high  bank  right  opposite,  so  close  that  a  biscuit 
might  have  been  tossed  from  the  summit  on  board  the 
Richmond.  Simultaneously  there  came  a  loud  roar,  and 
I  thought  the  shot  had  passed  through  the  port  I  was  op- 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  231 

posite  to.  Indeed,  so  close  were  we  to  the  battery  that 
the  flash,  the  report,  and  the  arrival  of  the  shot,  crashing 
anl  tearing  through  our  bulwarks,  were  instantaneous, 
there  not  being  the  intermission  of  a  second  between. 

"  It  must  have  been  about  this  time  that  Lieutenant 
Commander  Cummings,  the  executive  oflicer  of  the  Rich- 
mond, was  standing  on  the  bridge  that  connects  the  star- 
board with  the  port  gangway,  with  his  speaking-trumpet 
in  his  hand,  cheering  the  men.  Near  him  stood  Captain 
Alden,  when  a  conical  shot  of  large  calibre  passed 
through  the  hammocks,  over  the  starboard  gangway, 
taking  off  the  left  leg  of  the  lieutenant  just  above  the 
ankle,  battering  his  speaking-trumpet  (a  prize)  flat,  and 
knocking  Captain  Alden  down  with  the  windage,  and 
went  through  the  smoke-stack.  Mr.  Cummings  was  im- 
mediately taken  below,  where  his  wound  was  promptly 
attended  to  by  Dr.  Henderson,  the  ship's  surgeon,  but  not 
before  the  brave  young  man  had  lost  a  large  quantity  of 
blood  on  his  way  down.  On  being  carried  below  he  used 
the  following  patriotic  words,  which  are  worthy  of  becom- 
ing historical :  '  I  would  willingly  give  my  other  leg  so 
that  we  could  but  pass  the  batteries.' 

"  The  Rev.  Dr.  Bacon,  the  loyal  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  New  Orleans,  who  was  acting  as  chaplain  on 
board  the  Richmond,  was  on  the  bridge  when  Mr.  Cum- 
mings received  his  terrible  wound.  He  fortunately 
escaped  unhurt,  though  he  had  been  all  over  the  ship,  in 


832  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT. 

the  thickest  of  the  fight,  carrying  messages  and  exhorting 
and  encouraging  the  men. 

"  It  was  no  easy  matter,  in  the  midst  of  such  a  dense 
cloud  of  smoke,  to  know  where  to  point  our  guns.  Even 
the  flashes  of  the  enemy's  guns  shone  dimly  through  the 
thick  gloom.  Several  times  the  order  was  given  to  cease 
fire,  so  as  to  allow  the  smoke  to  clear  away ;  but,  as 
there  was  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind  stirring,  this  was  a 
very  slow  process  ;  still  the  order  was  necessary,  to  pre- 
vent the  several  vessels  from  running  into  each  other.  In 
this  respect  the  rebels  had  a  decided  advantage  over  us ; 
for  while  they  did  not  stand  in  danger  of  collision,  neither 
was  there  any  apprehension  of  firing  into  their  friends. 
The  wide  river  was  before  them,  and  if  they  did  not  hit  our 
vessels  at  each  discharge,  they  could  but  miss  at  the  worst. 

"  Matters  had  gone  on  this  way  for  nearly  an  hour 
and  a  half — the  first  gun  having  been  fired  at  about  half- 
past  eleven  o'clock — when,  to  my  astonishment,  I  heard 
some  shells  whistling  over  our  port  side.  Did  the  rebels 
have  batteries  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river?  was  the 
query  that  naturally  suggested  itself  to  me.  To  this  the 
response  was  given  that  we  had  turned  back.  I  soon  dis- 
covered that  it  was  too  true.  Our  return  was,  of  course, 
more  rapid  than  our  passage  up.  The  rebels  did  not  mo- 
lest us  much,  and  I  do  not  believe  one  of  their  shots  took 
effect  while  we  were  running  down  rapidly  with  the 
current. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT.  233 

"  We  were  soon  quietly  at  anchor,  and  were  busy  dis- 
cussing the  events  of  the  fight,  exchanging  congratulations 
and  comparing  notes,  when  the  lookout  man  in  the  main- 
top hailed  the  deck  as  follows  : 

"  '  On  deck  there  ! ' 

"  '  Hallo  I ' 

"  '  A  large  fire  ahead ! ' 

** '  Where  away  ? ' 

"  '  Just  above  the  bend.' 

"'What  is  it  like?' 

"  '  Like  a  fire-raft.' 

"  On  this  Captain  Alden,  to  whom  the  circumstance 
was  duly  reported  by  the  officers  of  the  deck,  sings  out : 

" '  Keep  a  good  lookout.  Man  the  bow  guns,  and 
stand  by  to  slip  the  cable.' 

"  Shortly  after  this  a  small  steamer  came  down,  the 
master  of  which  informed  Captain  Alden  that  the  Missis- 
sippi was  on  fire. 

**  In  the  dense  smoke  that  prevailed,  excluding  every 
object  from  view,  the  glorious  old  Mississippi  went  ashore 
right  opposite  the  centre  and  worst  battery.  She  was 
soon  discovered  by  the  enemy.  Up  to  this  time  she  had 
not  sustained  any  serious  injury.  She  now  became  a 
standing  target  for  the  whole  range  of  rebel  batteries, 
The  rebels  began  to  pour  into  her  a  perfect  shower  of  shot 
and  shell,  which  was  promptly  returned  by  the  Missis- 
sippi. This  murderous  work  continued  for  half  an  hour 


234:  LIFE    OF    ATyMTRAT.   FAEEAGTTT. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  escape,  Capt.  Smith  judiciously 
but  reluctantly  gave  orders  to  set  the  ship  on  fire  to  pre- 
vent her  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  Accordingly 
her  after-part  was  fired,  the  rebels  all  the  time  continuing 
to  pour  in  their  shot  and  shell  as  fast  as  they  could  bring 
their  guns  to  bear.  During  this  part  of  the  contest  no 
fewer  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  rounds  were  fired  from 
the  Mississippi.  The  artillery  practice  of  the  rebels 
would  have  been  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  The  Missis- 
sippi was  riddled  through  and  through.  Four  men  were 
known  to  have  been  killed  ere  the  ship  was  abandoned. 
Among  them  was  Acting  Master  Kelly,  the  whole  of 
whose  abdomen  was  shot  away.  Three  were  ascertained 
to  have  been  wounded.  There  may  have  been  some  more 
casualties,  but  it  is  impossible  to  tell  to  what  extent  at 
present,  though  a  great  many  exaggerated  stories  are 
afloat  on  the  subject.  Several  were  known  to  have 
jumped  overboard  soon  after  the  ship  was  set  on  fire, 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  some  of  them  were 
drowned. 

"  Soon  after  the  vessel  had  been  fired  two  shells  came 
crashing  through  her,  exploding  and  setting  fire  to  some 
turpentine  and  oil  which  they  upset.  This  caused  the 
flames  to  spread,  whereupon  a  master's  mate  hurried  on 
to  the  gundeck  and  reported  that  the  flames  had  reached 
the  entrance  to  the  magazine.  The  ship  was  then  at  once 
abandoned,  and  all  hands  on  board,  including  the  wound- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKEAGUT.  235 

ed  men,  were  put  on  shore  on  the  bank  of  the  river  oppo- 
site Port  Hudson.  This  was  accompanied  by  a  deafen- 
ing yell  of  exultation  from  the  rebels  on  perceiving  the 
blazing  up  of  the  fire.  The  Mississippi  burned  till  she 
became  lightened,  to  which  the  removal  of  nearly  three 
hundred  men  contributed,  when  she  swung  off  into  deep 
water.  She  had  grounded  with  her  head  up  stream ;  but 
on  swinging  off  she  turned  completely  round,  presenting 
her  head  down  the  river,  which  position  she  retained  till 
she  blew  up. 

"  At  length  it  was  reported  on  board  the  Richmond 
that  the  Mississippi  was  coming  down,  and  we  all  turned 
out  on  the  poop-deck  to  see  the  sight.  It  was  a  most 
magnificent  spectacle.  From  the  midships  to  the  stern 
the  noble  vessel  was  enveloped  in  a  sheet  of  flame,  while 
fire-wreaths  ran  up  the  shrouds,  played  around  the  main- 
mast, twisted  and  writhed  like  fiery  serpents.  Onward 
she  came,  keeping  near  to  the  right  bank,  still  bow  fore- 
most, as  regularly  as  if  she  was  steered  by  a  pilot.  It 
was,  indeed,  a  wonderful  sight.  Captain  Smith,  her  re- 
cent commander,  and  several  of  her  officers,  who  had  by 
this  time  arrived  on  board  the  Richmond,  assembled  on 
the  poop-deck,  their  emotion  almost  too  great  for  words. 
Next  to  his  wife,  children,  or  sweetheart,  there  is  nothing 
that  a  sailor  loves  more  than  his  ship — nothing  that  he 
regrets  the  loss  of  so  much ;  and,  in  the  absence  of  the 
above-mentioned  domestic,  ties,  his  ship  is  to  him  wife, 


236  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FA.RRAGDT. 

child,  and  sweetheart.  The  feeling  of  regret  at  the  loss 
of  his  ship  is  enhanced  when,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, the  gallant  craft  has  achieved  historical  renown. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  the  officers  of  the  Mississippi 
should  feel  a  sinking  at  the  heart  on  witnessing  the  de- 
struction of  their  floating  home,  while  they  were  power- 
less to  save  her. 

"  As  she  arrived  opposite  the  port  side  of  the  Rich- 
mond, some  apprehension  was  entertained  that  her  port 
broadsides  might  give  us  a  parting  salute  of  not  a  very 
agreeable  nature.  Captain  Smith  assured  Captain  Alden, 
however,  that  her  port  guns  had  all  been  discharged. 
Just  as  she  had  cleared  us,  her  starboard  guns  began  to 
go  off.  This  was  accompanied  by  the  explosion  of  the 
shells  she  had  on  deck,  ready  for  use.  These  exploded 
at  short  intervals.  The  flames  now  began  to  increase  in 
volume  from  amidships  to  the  stern,  and  the  howitzer  on 
the  maintop  was  discharged  with  the  heat.  Majestically 
the  gallant  craft — gallant  even  in  its  last  moments — 
moved  down  the  stream,  till,  turning  the  bend  at  the 
lower  part  of  Prophet  Island,  she  was  hidden  from  our 
view,  and  nothing  more  was  seen  but  a  white  glare,  shoot- 
ing up  skyward.  Shell  after  shell  still  exploded  at  inter- 
vals, and  thus  a  couple  of  hours  passed  away  till  the 
Mississippi  was  some  eight  or  ten  miles  below  the  Rich- 
mond. The  shells  now  begin  to  explode  more  rapidly, 
indicating  that  the  fire  has  reached  the  shell-room,  and 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  237 

cannot  be  far  from  the  powder  magazine.  This  proves 
to  be  the  fact ;  for  presently  a  sudden  glare  of  bright 
flame  shoots  upward  toward  the  zenith,  spreading  sky- 
ward, in  the  form  of  an  inverted  cone ;  an  interval  of  a 
few  seconds  elapses ;  then  comes  a  stunning  roar,  caus- 
ing the  Richmond  to  tremble  from  truck  to  keelson,  and 
the  gallant  Mississippi,  that  so  long  '  has  braved  the  bat- 
tle and  the  breeze,'  is  no  more  ;  all  that  remains  of  her  is 
sunk  in  the  bosom  of  the  mighty  river  from  which  she 
derived  her  name. 

"Passing  through  the  starboard  side  of  the  Kiel - 
mond,  amidships,  a  conical  eighty-pounder  passed  througl 
a  pile  of  cordage  on  the  berth-deck,  narrowly  missing 
some  powder-boys  who  were  handing  up  ammunition. 
Thence  it  entered  the  machinery-room,  passing  through 
and  smashing  the  steam-drum,  and  damaging  both  safety- 
valves,  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  closing.  Taking  its 
course  under  the  steam-chest,  the  shot  came  out  on  the 
other  side,  when  it  broke  in  two,  and  both  pieces  dropped 
below.  Here  I  may  take  this  opportunity  of  mentioning 
that  Confederate  iron,  in  these  regions,  is  a  very  inferior 
metal.  It  is  not  half  smelted,  but  right  in  the  centre  are 
large  stones. 

"  Early  this  morning  the  decks  of  the  Richmond  pre- 
sented a  melancholy  spectacle.  Where  the  two  men  fell 
there  was  a  great  pool  of  clotted  gore,  which  I  saw  a  sea- 
man tossing  overboard  with  a  shovel.  The  whitewashed 


238  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKEAGUT. 

decks,  too,  were  any  thing  but  tidy ;  but,  hey !  presto . 
as  if  by  magic,  the  stalwart  arms  of  some  two  or  three 
hundred  men,  with  the  aid  of  a  plentiful  supply  of  Mis- 
sissippi water,  have  made  every  thing  as  clean  aud  neat 
as  a  lady's  boudoir.  The  bodies  of  the  two  men  who 
were  killod  have  been  removed  forward,  and  to  them  has 
beet>  added  the  body  of  the  boatswain's  mate,  who  lost 
both  legs  and  an  arm,  and  who  has  since  died.  The 
three  bodies  have  been  neatly  sewed  up  in  their  hammocks, 
and  they  are  to  be  put  into  coffins  for  interment  on  shore. 
Headboards,  with  their  names  inscribed  on  them,  will  be 
placed  at  the  heads  of  their  graves,  so  that  the  bodies  may 
be  reclaimed  at  any  time  by  their  friends  or  relatives." 

Soon  after  occurred  one  of  those  daring  adventures, 
many  of  which  are  unrecorded,  related  in  a  letter  from 
New  Orleans  at  that  time.  The  Admiral  wanted  de- 
spatches, and  the  Yankee  boys  determined  to  get  them 
beyond  Port  Hudson,  as  you  will  see : 

"  NEW  ORLEANS,  April  18. 

"  Much  interest  is  felt  in  the  fortunes  of  Admiral  Far- 
ragut  by  every  loyal  man  in  the  country,  and  his  assured 
safety  is  a  source  of  congratulation  among  good  men 
everywhere. 

"  On  Tuesday  morning,  April  14th,  Lieutenants  H. 
B.  Skinner  and  C.  C.  Dean  of  General  Dudley's  staff, 
and  Lieutenant  Tenney,  Quartermaster  of  the  Thirtieth 


LIFE   OF   ADMTKAL   PARRAGUT.  * 

Massachusetts  volunteers,  went  up  from  Baton  Rouge  to 
Port  Hamilton  in  the  Richmond,  they  having  volunteered 
to  go  across  the  point  opposite  Port  Hudson,  and  carry 
despatches  from  below  to  the  Admiral,  who  was  to  be  at 
the  mouth  of  False  River  on  Wednesday  morning.  Cap- 
tain Roe  and  Lieutenant  Herbert  of  the  signal  corps 
accompanied  the  expedition.  During  the  sail  up  an  ad- 
ditional mast  was  put  above  the  main  topmast  of  the 
Richmond,  with  a  '  crow's  nest'  in  the  top,  from  which  it 
was  proposed  to  signal  over  the  trees  covering  the  point, 
with  the  Admiral,  which  plan  proved  entirely  successful. 
"  On  the  morning  of  the  15th,  Lieutenants  Skinner, 
Dean,  Tenney,  and  Herbert,  went  up  the  levee  a  couple 
of  miles  to  reconnoitre.  They  found  that  the  enemy  were 
crossing  cavalry  over  from  Port  Hudson.  Returning  to 
the  Richmond,  the  welcome  signal-guns  were  heard  from 
the  Hartford,  whose  masts  were  plainly  visible  from  the 
'  crow's  nest.'  They  were  quickly  answered  by  Captain 
Alden,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  expedition  started.  Be- 
sides the  above-mentioned  officers,  Mr.  Shaw,  acting 
master  of  the  Richmond,  and  Mr.  Gabandau,  private 
secretary  to  Admiral  Farragut,  who  came  down  a  week 
ago,  and  returned  to  the  Richmond  from  New  Orleans, 
put  in  here  to  accompany  us  over.  Also  Mr.  Graves, 
purser's  clerk  of  the  Albatross,  accompanied  the  expedi- 
tion. A  negro  was  taken  along  as  a  guide.  The  party 
was  well  armed,  and  started  about  noon. 


240  LIFK   OF    ADMIRAL   FABRAGUT. 

"  They  struck  the  woods  some  two  miles  below  the 
river,  embarked  in  two  skiffs,  and  for  five  miles  pro- 
ceeded through  the  woods,  overflowed  with  water  to  a 
depth  ranging  from  three  to  thirty  feet.  It  was  a  novel 
scene.  Silently  they  paddled  through  the  forest — the 
only  noises  heard  were  the  voices  of  numberless  bird* 
and  the  low  rustling  of  the  leaves.  Arriving  near  the 
False  River,  the  boats  were  hid  in  the  bushes,  and  the 
party  waded  waist-deep  through  the  water  a  mile  further 
in,  where  they  struck  the  old  State  Levee,  following 
which  for  a  short  distance,  they  came  out  into  the  open 
road  in  full  sight  of  the  enemy's  batteries,  which  were  no 
longer  to  be  feared,  for  right  ahead  was  the  welcome 
sight  of  the  flag-ship. 

"  The  Albatross,  Captain  Hart,  came  quickly  down 
and  took  us  on  board.  While  waiting  for  her  to  reach 
us,  the  enemy  fired  a  few  shells  at  the  party,  which  went 
harmlessly  over.  In  a  few  moments  we  were  alongside 
the  Admiral's  ship,  who  gave  us  a  most  cordial  welcome. 
The  officiers  vied  with  each  other  in  making  us  comfort- 
able, and  eagerly  asked  numberless  questions  about  the 
tews  below. 

"  After  a  good  night's  rest,  the  party,  decreased  by 
the  officers  belonging  above,  early  th<j  next  morning 
started  to  return,  which  was  a  much  more  dangerous 
malter  than  going,  for  the  enemy  having  divined  our  in- 
tentions, had,  during  the  night,  sent  a  small  force  over. 


LIFE  OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  241 

evidently  with  the  intention  of  '  gobbling*  the  party ;  but 
we  struck  a  different  road  from  the  one  we  came  on,  and 
reached  our  boats  in  safety,  having  encountered  but  one 
of  the  enemy's  pickets,  who  was  mounted,  and  quickly 
fled  on  our  firing  at  him.  We  got  back  to  the  Richmond 
at  noon,  having  thus  in  twenty-four  hours  accomplished 
an  object  full  of  importance  and  danger,  and  one  which 
Yankee  pluck  and  perseverance  alone  could  accomplish." 

The  Hartford  and  Albatross  did  excellent  service  in 
blockading  the  mouth  of  Red  River,  from  which  supplies 
had  been  sent  to  Vicksburg,  until  Admiral  Porter  ran  by 
that  city  in  May,  and  relieved  him  from  this  service. 
Admiral  Farragut  then  returned  to  New  Orleans,  by  way 
of  the  Atchafalaya,  to  direct  the  siege  against  Port  Hud- 
son, till  its  surrender  to  General  Banks,  immediately  after 
the  fall  of  Vicksburg. 

The  Admiral  informs  us  why  he  went  to  New  Orleans 
at  the  time  he  did,  and  of  his  ceaseless  activity : 

"  NEW  ORLEANS,  June  29,  1863. 

"  While  I  was  at  Port  Hudson  I  received  a  despatch 
stating  that  the  rebels  were  in  force  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  river  threatening  Plaquemine  and  Donaldsonville.  I 
started  immediately  for  the  first-named  place,  but  on  my 
ariival  at  Baton  Rouge,  found  a  despatch  from  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Weaver,  to  the  effect  that  the  rebels,  aboul 
16 


242  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGBT. 

one  hundred  and  fifty  Texans,  had  made  a  raid  into 
Plaquemine,  some  three  hours  previous  to  his  arrival, 
aud  had  burnt  two  steamers  that  were  lying  there. 
Lieutenant-Commander  Weaver  shelled  the  place,  driving 
the  enemy  out  of  the  town,  and  followed  them  down  the 
river  to  Donaldsonville,  which  place  he  reached  in  ad- 
vance of  them ;  by  dark  I  was  also  there,  and  found  that 
the  Kineo  had  also  been  sent  up  by  Commander  Morris. 
The  enemy,  finding  us  in  such  strong  force  of  gunboats 
gave  out  that  they  would  not  attack  Donaldsonville,  but 
would  go  by  railroad  to  Brashear  City.  I  therefore  order- 
ed the  Winona,  Lieutenant-Commander  Weaver,  to  cruise 
up  and  down  the  river,  and  he  seeing  the  enemy  on  two 
occasions,  shelled  them. 

"  As  I  had  much  to  attend  to  in  New  Orleans,  I 
dropped  down,  placing  the  gunboats  to  the  best  advan- 
tage, above  and  below  ;  Lieutenant-Commander  Walters 
volunteered  to  assist  the  volunteer  officer  commanding  the 
fort,  in  the  drilling  of  his  men  at  great  guns.  I  paid 
them  a  visit  and  gave  them  my  advice  in  case  of  an  at- 
tack, which  I  looked  for  sooner  or  later.  I  left  Com- 
mander Woolsey  in  the  Princess  Royal,  in  command  of 
Donaldsonville,  ordered  the  Winona  to  Plaquemine,  and 
stationed  the  Kineo  at  a  place  below  where  the  railroad 
ran  near  the  river,  distance  about  twenty-three  miles  from 
New  Orleans.  On  the  17th  instant,  the  enemy  reached 
the  Lafourche,  crossing  and  attacking  our  pickets,  who 


"?E   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  243 

repulsed  them,  causing  them  a  heavy  loss.  On  the  18th 
they  had  a  second  fight  and  were  again  repulsed. 

"  On  the  26th,  the  enemy,  under  Generals  Green  and 
Mouton,  attacked  and  captured  Brashear  City.  Our 
force  there  was  very  small.  I  had  only  a  small  steamer, 
mounting  two  twelve-pound  howitzers,  which  I  purchased 
as  a  tug,  but  I  regret  to  say  that  her  commander  is  not 
represented  as  having  been  any  more  vigilant  than  the 
rest,  and  backed  down  the  bay.  Mr.  Ryder  says,  how- 
ever, that  he  could  not  fire  into  the  enemy  without  firing 
into  our  own  people,  so  he  withdrew  and  retired  to  New 
Orleans,  leaving  Brashear  City  in  possession  of  the 
enemy. 

"  On  the  27th  Commander  Woolsey  informed  me  by 
telegraph,  and  Brigadier-General  Emory  personally,  that 
General  Green,  of  Texas,  had  notified  the  womeu  and 
children  to  leave  Donaldsonville,  as  he  intended  to  make 
an  attack.  I  immediately  ordered  the  Kineo  up  to  the 
assistance  of  the  Princess  Royal,  and  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Weaver,  in  the  Winona,  being  on  the  alert,  was 
also  at  Donaldsonville  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  re- 
pulsing of  the  enemy.  I  inclose  herewith  Commander 
Woolsey's  report  of  the  affair. 

"  At  twenty  minutes  past  one  A.  M.  of  the  28th,  the 
enemy  made  the  attack,  and  their  storming  party  got  into 
the  fort ;  but  the  gunboats  opened  a  flanking  fire  above 
and  below  the  fort,  hurling  destruction  into  the  rebel 


LITE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

ranks  and  driving  back  the  supporting  party,  so  that  they 
broke  and  fled,  and  the  twenty  who  entered  the  fort  were 
captured.  At  ten  minutes  to  five  A.  M.,  the  rebel* 
(Texans)  fell  back  in  great  rage,  vowing  vengeance.  I 
had  in  the  mean  time  ordered  up  the  Monongahela,  Com- 
mander Read,  and  General  Emory  first,  and  then  General 
Banks  sent  forward  reee-nforcem<-uts.  General  Stone  is 
now  in  command  there,  and  the  place  is  perfectly  secure. 
1 '  The  prisoners  arrived  from  Donaldsonville  number 
one  hundred  and  twenty-four — among  which  are  one 
lieutenant-colonel,  two  majors,  two  captains,  and  five 
lieutenants.  Our  forces  have  buried  sixty-nine  rebel 
dead,  and  are  still  employed,  calculating  there  are  about 
one  hundred.  Colonel  Phillips  is  among  the  number  of 
the  rebel  dead.  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted 
by  your  obedient  servant, 

"  D.  G.  FABRAGUT,  Rear-Admiral." 

The  Mississippi  was  no  sooner  "  cleared,"  and  our 
Admiral  out  of  work  on  its  waters,  than  he  looked  else- 
where for  a  chance  to  deal  deadly  blows  upon  the  ab- 
horred rebellion.  It  was  more  than  life  to  him  to  be  in 
the  thickest  of  the  strife,  flying  at  the  masthead  in  smoke 
and  iron  hail  the  dear  old  flag,  under  which,  while  yet 
a  boy,  he  fought  in  a  distant  and  foreign  sea. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

The  Situation  of  Mobile— Preparations  to  attack  its  Portifleatl  >Qi>~Theli 
Strength — Generals  Canby  and  Granger — The  Advance — General  Order— 
The  Engagement — Anecdotes  of  the  Admiral — His  Ueport  of  the  Splendid 
Affair— Thanksgiving— A  Song  of  Victory. 


r  .HE  city   of    Mobile   is   on    the    west   side    of 
'<=* 

Mobile  River,  at   its   entrance   into   the   bay. 


The  distance  from  New  Orleans  is  one  hundred 
and  sixty  miles.  It  came  into  the  possession 
of  the  United  States  in  1813,  while  young  Far- 
ragut  was  in  the  Essex  under  Captain  Porter,  cruising 
in  the  Pacific,  and  contained  then  only  three  hundred  in- 
habitants. It  grew  to  be  the  second  city  in  importance 
to  the  cotton  trade  of  the  South,  having  a  population  of 
about  thirty-five  thousand.  It  was  a  haunt  of  the  blockade- 
runners  in  the  war,  and  must  be  taken.  Admiral  Farra- 
gut  was  the  man  to  make  the  attempt  to  enter  its  waters, 
over  which  frowned  the  cannon  of  thr^e  powerful  forts, 
Morgan,  Powell,  and  Gaines.  The  enterprise  had  been 
projected  before,  but  abandoned.  The  summer  of  1864 


24:6  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

found  the  hero  of  New  Orleans  consulting  with  Generals 
Canby  and  Granger.  This  was  early  in  July.  A  few 
days  later  the  plan  of  attack  was  formed,  and  the  follow- 
ing spirited  order  issued : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-SHIP  HARTFORD,  OFF  MOBILE  BAY,  July  12,  1864. 

"  Strip  your  vessels  and  prepare  for  the  conflict.  Send 
down  all  your  superfluous  spars  and  rigging,  trice  up  or 
remove  the  whiskers,  put  up  the  splinter  nets  on  the  star- 
board side,  and  barricade  the  wheel  and  steersmen  with 
sails  and  hammocks.  Lay  chains  or  sand-bags  on  the 
deck  over  the  machinery  to  resist  a  plunging  fire.  Hang 
the  sheet  chains  over  the  side,  or  make  any  other  arrange- 
ment for  security  that  your  ingenuity  may  suggest.  Land 
your  starboard  boats,  or  lower  and  tow  them  on  the  port 
side,  and  lower  the  port  boats  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
Place  a  leadsman  and  the  pilot  in  the  port-quarter  boat, 
or  the  one  most  convenient  to  the  commander. 

"  The  vessels  will  run  past  the  forts  in  couples,  lashed 
Bide  by  side,  as  hereinafter  designated.  The  flag-ship  will 
lead  and  steer  from  Sand  Island  N.  by  E.  by  compass, 
until  abreast  of  Fort  Morgan ;  then  N.  W.  half  N.  until 
past  the  Middle  Ground,  then  N.  by  W.,  and  the  others, 
as  designated  in  the  drawing,  will  follow  in  due  order 
until  ordered  to  anchor ;  but  the  bow  and  quarter  line 
must  be  preserved,  to  give  the  chase  guns  a  fair  range  ; 
and  each  vessel  must  be  kept  astern  of  the  broadside  of 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  247 

the  next  ahead ;  each  vessel  will  keep  a  very  little  on  the 
starboard  quarter  of  his  next  ahead,  and,  when  abreast 
of  the  fort,  will  keep  directly  astern,  and  as  we  pass  the 
fort  will  take  the  same  distztice  on  the  port  quarter  of  the 
next  ahead,  to  enable  the  stern  guns  to  fire  clear  of  the 
next  vessel  astern. 

"  It  will  be  the  object  of  the  Admiral  to  get  as  close  to 
the  fort  as  possible  before  opening  fire  ;  the  ships,  how- 
ever, will  open  fire  the  moment  the  enemy  opens  upon  us 
with  their  chase  and  other  guns,  as  fast  as  they  can  be 
brought  to  bear.  Use  short  fuses  for  the  shell  and  shrap- 
nel, and  as  soon  as  within  three  or  four  hundred  yards 
give  them  grape.  It  is  understood  that  heretofore  we 
have  fired  too  high  ;  but  with  grapeshot  it  is  necessary  to 
elevate  a  little  above  the  object,  as  grape  will  dribble  from 
the  muzzle  of  the  gun. 

"  If  one  or  more  of  the  vessels  be  disabled,  their 
partners  must  carry  them  through,  if  possible ;  but  if 
they  cannot,  then  the  next  astern  must  render  the  re- 
quired assistance.  But  as  the  Admiral  contemplates  mov- 
ing with  the  flood  tide,  it  will  only  require  sufficient  power 
to  keep  the  crippled  vessels  in  the  channel. 

"  Vessels  that  can  must  place  guns  upon  the  poop  and 
top-gallant  forecastle,  and  in  the  top  on  the  starboard  side. 
Should  the  enemy  fire  grape,  they  will  remove  the  men 
from  the  top-gallant  forecastle  and  poop  to  the  guns  below 
until  out  of  grape  range.  The  howitzers  must  keep  up  a 


248  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

constant  fire  from  the  time  they  can  reach  with  shrapnel 

until  out  of  its  range. 

"D.  G.  FAKRAGUT, 
"  Rear-Admiral  Commanding  W.  G.  B.  Squadron." 

A  single  fact  sheds  further  light  on  his  comprehensive 
ability  for  so  daring  an  assault  upon  defences  combining 
all  the  perils  to  the  invading  force  that  engineering  skill 
could  construct.  He  determined  to  go  in  with  the  strong 
flood  tide,  because,  in  case  a  vessel  was  hit  and  partially 
disabled,  it  would  not  stop  and  drift  astern,  but  must  float 
onwards  into  and  with  the  fight.  In  his  triumph  at  New 
Orleans,  Port  Hudson,  and  Vicksburg,  almost  the  greatest 
difficulty  which  he  had  encountered  was  the  rapidity  and 
adverse  force  of  the  Mississippi  current.  If  a  vessel  was 
hit  it  had  to  drift  astern  into  the  fire,  or  out  of  the  circle 
of  service.  This  he  felt  would  never  do,  and  the  result 
shows  how  correct  was  his  judgment.  With  the  flood 
every  ship  made  its  way  into  the  bay ;  and  the  Oneida, 
which  was  last,  realized  that  its  position  on  the  rear  was 
Ihe  most  serious  one,  since  the  forts,  silenced  by  the  sus- 
tained fire  of  the  whole  line,  reopened  upon  the  sternmost 
vessel,  when  the  weight  and  frequency  of  the  leading  ves- 
sels' broadsides  had  slackened.  "  Farragut,  in  assuming 
the  lead,  demonstrated  the  truth  of  a  military  aphorism, 
that  audacity  and  presence  of  mind  constitute  armor  and 
arms  of  proof." 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FAKKAGDT.  249 

There  was  a  pleasant  incident  on  the  eve  of  battle 
illustrative  of  the  Admiral's  character.  The  men  of  the 
Hartford  tell  a  good  story  of  him.  They  came  aft  in  a 
body  the  night  before  the  attack  on  Fort  Morgan,  and 
through  their  petty  officers  requested  of  the  captain  of  the 
Hartford  to  see  the  Admiral.  When  he  came  out  they 
asked  him  if  they  could  have  some  grog  before  going  into 
action  the  next  day.  "  I  have  no  particular  objection  to 
your  having  a  little  grog,"  he  calmly  replied,  "  if  there  is 
any  on  board ;  but  I  have  been  to  sea  a  good  deal,  and 
have  seen  some  fighting,  but  /  have  never  seen  the  time 
when  I  needed  rum  to  help  me  do  my  duty.  I  will  order 
for  you  two  pots  of  hot  coffee  at  two  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning,  and  at  eight  o'clock  I  will  pipe  you  to  breakfast 
in  Mobile  Bay." 

Of  the  entire  achievement  the  Admiral  shall  tell  his 
own  story,  and  it  is  not  often  that  the  official  reports  of 
commanding  officers,  necessarily  giving  the  details  of  the 
conflicts,  will  interest  the  youthful  reader ;  but  General 
Sherman's  and  Admiral  Farragut's  despatches  are  excep- 
tions in  this  respect.  The  forcible  and  often  graphic 
statements  reveal  the  cultivated  genius  which  can  wield 
the  pen  with  skill  and  point  equal  to  that  displayed  in 
handling  the  gword.  For  this  reason  I  shall  add  to  the 
sketch  of  the  "  glorious  victory "  Farragut's  peculiar  and 
striking  account  of  what  he  did  and  saw.  Even  boy§ 
will  catch  the  ring  of  the  battle  itself,  and  say  with  an- 


250  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAUUT. 

other,  "  How  well  he  writes  after  fighting  so  well !  '  Yo» 
will  pause  with  moistened  eye  over  his  allusion  to  the 
wounded  prisoners,  and  the  lamented  Craven : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-SHIP  HARTFORD,  MOBILE  BAT,  August  12,  1864. 

"  Sra : — I  had  the  honor  to  forward  the  Department 
on  the  evening  of  the  5th  instant  a  report  of  my  entree 
into  Mobile  Buy  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  and  which, 
though  brief,  contained  all  the  principal  facts  of  the  attack. 
Notwithstanding  the  loss  of  life,  particularly  on  this  ship, 
and  the  terrible  disaster  to  the  Tecumseh,  the  result  of  the 
fight  was  a  glorious  victory  ;  and  I  have  reason  to  feel 
proud  of  the  officers,  seamen,  and  marines  of  the  squad- 
ron under  my  command,  for  it  has  never  fallen  to  the  lot 
of  an  officer  to  be  thus  situated  and  thus  sustained. 
Regular  discipline  will  bring  men  to  any  amount  of  en- 
durance, but  there  is  a  natural  fear  of  hidden  dangers, 
particularly  when  so  awfully  destructive  of  human  life  as 
the  torpedo,  which  requires  more  than  discipline  to  over- 
come. 

"  Preliminary  to  a  report  of  the  action  of  the  5th,  I 
desire  to  call  the  attention  of  the  Department  to  the  pre- 
vious steps  taken  in  consultation  with  Generals  Canby 
and  Granger  on  the  8th  of  July.  I  had  an  interview  with 
Jiese  officers  on  board  the  Hartford,  on  the  subject  of  an 
at'tack  upon  Forts  Morgan  and  Gaines,  at  which  it  was 
agreed  that  General  Canby  would  send  all  the  troops  h« 


LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  251 

could  spare  to  cooperate  with  the  fleet.  Circumstances 
soon  obliged  General  Canby  to  inform  me  that  he  could 
not  despatch  a  sufficient  number  to  invest  both  forts,  and 
in  reply,  I  suggested  that  Gaines  should  be  the  first  in- 
vested, engaging  to  have  a  force  in  the  sound  ready  to 
protect  the  landing  of  the  army  on  Dauphin  Island  in  the 
rear  of  that  fort,  and  I  assigned  Lieutenant-Commander 
De  Krafft,  of  the  Conemaugh,  to  that  duty. 

"  On  the  1st  instant  General  Granger  visited  me  again 
on  the  Hartford.  In  the  mean  time  the  Tecumseh  had 
arrived  at  Pensacola,  and  Captain  Cxaven  informed  me 
that  he  would  be  ready  in  four  days  for  any  semce.  "We 
therefore  fixed  upon  the  4th  of  August  as  the  day  for  the 
landing  of  the  troops,  and  my  entrance  into  the  bay,  but 
owing  to  delays  mentioned  in  Captain  Jenkins*  commu- 
nication to  me,  the  Tecumseh  was  not  ready.  General 
Granger,  however,  to  my  mortification,  was  up  to  the 
time,  and  the  troops  actually  landed  on  Dauphin  Island. 

"  As  subsequent  events  proved,  the  delay  turned  to 
our  advantage,  as  the  rebels  were  busily  engaged  during 
the  4th  in  throwing  troops  and  supplies  into  Fort  Gaines, 
all  of  which  were  captured  a  few  days  afterwards.  The 
Tecumseh  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  4th,  and  every 
thing  being  propitious,  I  proceeded  to  the  attack  on  the 
following  morning.  As  mentioned  in  my  previous  de- 
spatch, the  vessels  outside  the  bar  which  were  designed  to 
participate  in  the  engagement,  were  all  under  way  by 


252  LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL   FABKAGUT. 

forty  minutes  past  five  in  the  morning,  in  the  following 
order,  two  abreast  and  lashed  together : 

"  Brooklyn,  Captain  James  Alden,  with  the  Octorara, 
Lieutenant-Commander  C.  H.  Green,  on  the  port  side. 

"  Hartford,  Captain  Percival  Drayton,  with  the  Meta- 
comet,  Lieutenant>Commander  J.  E.  Jouett. 

'"  Richmond,  Captain  T.  A.  Jenkins,  with  the  Port 
Royal,  Lieutenant-Commander  B.  Gherardi. 

"  Lackawanna,  Captain  J.  B.  Marchaud,  with  the 
Seminole,  Commander  E.  Donaldson. 

"  Monongahela,  Commander  J.  H.  Strong,  with  the 
Kennebec,  Lieutenant-Commander  W.  P.  McCann. 

"  Ossipee,  Commander  "W.  E.  LeRoy,  with  the  Itasca, 
Lieutenant-Commander  George  Brown. 

"  Oneida,  Commander  J.  R.  M.  Mullany,  with  the 
Galena,  Lieutenant-Commander  C.  H.  Wells. 

"  The  iron-clads  Tecumseh,  Commander  T.  A.  M. 
Craven,  the  Manhattan,  Commander  J.  W.  A.  Nichol- 
son, the  Winnebago,  Commander  T.  H.  Stevens,  and  the 
1/hickasaw,  Lieutenant-Commander  T.  H.  Perkins,  were 
already  ahead  inside  the  bar,  and  had  been  ordered  to 
take  up  their  positions  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  wooden 
ships,  or  between  them  and  Fort  Morgan,  for  the  double 
purpose  of  keeping  down  the  fire  from  the  water  battery 
and  the  parapet  guns  of  the  fort,  as  well  as  to  attack  the 
ram  Tennessee  as  soon  as  the  fort  was  passed.  It  was 
only  at  the  urgent  request  of  the  captains  and  commanding 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  253 

officers  that  I  yielded  to  the  Brooklyn  being  the  leading 
ship  of  the  line,  as  she  had  four  chase  guns  and  an  in- 
genious arrangement  for  picking  up  torpedoes,  and  be- 
cause in  their  judgment  the  flag-ship  ought  not  to  be  too 
much  exposed.  This  I  believe  to  be  an  error  ;  for  apart 
from  the  fact  that  exposure  is  one  of  the  penalties  of  rank 
in  the  navy,  it  will  always  be  the  aim  of  the  enemy  to 
destroy  the  flag-ship,  and,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel, 
such  attempt  was  very  persistently  made,  but  Providence 
did  not  permit  it  to  be  successful. 

"  The  attacking  fleet  steamed  steadily  up  the  main 
ship  channel,  the  Tecumseh  firing  the  first  shot  at  6  : 47. 
At  six  minutes  past  seven  the  fort  opened  upon  us,  and 
was  replied  to  by  a  gun  from  the  Brooklyn,  and  imme- 
diately after  the  action  became  general.  It  was  soon  ap- 
parent that  there  was  some  difficulty  ahead.  The  Brook- 
lyn, for  some  cause  which  I  did  not  then  clearly  under 
stand,  but  which  has  since  been  explained  by  Captain 
Alden  in  his  report,  arrested  the  advance  of  the  whole 
fleet,  while  at  the  same  time  the  guns  of  the  fort  were 
playing  with  great  effect  upon  that  vessel  and  the  Hart- 
ford. A  moment  after  I  saw  the  Tecumseh,  struck  by  a 
torpedo,  disappear  almost  instantaneously  beneath  the 
waves,  carrying  with  her  her  gallant  commander  and 
nearly  all  her  crew.  I  determined  at  once,  as  I  had 
originally  intended,  to  take  the  lead,  and  after  ordering 
the  Metacomet  to  Fend  a  boat  to  save  if  possible  any  of 


254  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAEEAGUT. 

the  perishing  crew,  I  dashed  ahead  with  the  Hartford,  ana 
the  ships  followed  on,  their  officers  believing  that  they 
were  going  to  a  noble  death  with  their  commander-iu- 
chief.  I  steamed  through  between  the  buoys  where  the 
torpedoes  were  supposed  to  have  been  sunk.  These 
buoys  had  been  previously  examined  by  my  flag-lieut- 
enant, J.  Critlenden  Watson,  in  several  night  recon- 
noissances.  Though  he  had  not  been  able  to  discover 
the  sunken  torpedoes,  yet  we  had  been  assured  by  ref- 
ugees, deserters,  and  others,  of  their  existence ;  but  be- 
lieving that  from  their  having  been  some  time  in  the 
water  they  were  probably  innocuous,  I  determined  to  take 
the  chance  of  their  explosion. 

"  From  the  moment  I  turned  to  the  northwestward  to 
clear  the  middle  ground,  we  were  enabled  to  keep  such  a 
broadside  fire  upon  the  batteries  of  Fort  Morgan  that 
their  guns  did  us  comparatively  little  injury.  Just  after 
we  passed  the  fort,  which  was  about  ten  minutes  before 
eight  o'clock,  the  ram  Tennessee  dashed  out  at  this  ship, 
as  had  been  expected,  and  in  anticipation  of  which  I  had 
ordered  the  monitors  on  our  starboard  side.  I  took  no 
further  notice  of  her  than  to  return  her  fire.  The  rebel 
gunboats  Morgan,  Gaines,  and  Selma,  were  ahead,  and 
the  latter  particularly  annoyed  us  with  a  raking  fire, 
which  our  guns  could  not  return.  At  two  minutes  after 
eight  o'clock  I  ordered  the  Metacomet  to  cast  off  and  go 
in  pursuit  of  the  Selma.  Captain  Jouett  was  ailer  her  in 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  255 

a  moment,  and  in  an  hour's  time  he  had  her  as  a  prize 
She  was  commanded  by  P.  N.  Murphy,  formerly  of  the 
United  States  Navy.  He  was  wounded  in  the  wrist ;  his 
executive  officer,  Lieutenant  Comstock,  and  eight  of  the 
crew  killed,  and  seven  or  eight  wounded.  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Jouett's  conduct  during  the  whole  affair 
commands  my  warmest  commendations.  The  Morgan 
and  Gaines  succeeded  in  escaping  under  the  protection 
of  the  guns  of  Fort  Morgan,  which  would  have  heen  pre- 
vented had  the  other  gunboats  been  as  prompt  in  their 
movements  as  the  Metacomet.  The  want  of  pilots,  how- 
ever, I  believe,  was  the  principal  difficulty.  The  Gaiues 
was  so  injured  by  our  fire  that  she  had  to  be  run  ashore, 
where  she  was  subsequently  destroyed,  but  the  Morgan 
escaped  to  Mobile  during  the  night,  though  she  was 
chased  and  fired  upon  by  our  cruisers. 

"  Having  passed  the  forts  and  dispersed  the  enemy's 
gunboats,  I  had  ordered  most  of  the  vessels  to  anchor, 
when  I  perceived  the  ram  Tennessee  standing  up  for  this 
ship  ;  this  was  at  forty-five  minutes  past  eight.  I  was  not 
long  in  comprehending  his  intentions  to  be  the  destruction 
of  the  flag-ship.  The  monitors  and  such  of  the  wooden 
ressels  as  I  thought  best  adapted  for  the  purpose,  were 
immediately  ordered  to  attack  the  ram,  not  only  with  their 
guns  but  bows  on  at  full  speed.  And  then  began  one  of 
the  fiercest  naval  combats  on  record.  The  Monongaliela, 
Commander  Strong,  was  the  first  vessel  that  struck  her, 


256  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT. 

and  in  doing  so  carried  away  his  own  iron  prow,  together 
with  the  cutwater,  without  apparently  doing  his  adversary 
much  injury.  The  Lackawanna,  Captain  Marchand,  was 
the  next  vessel  to  strike  her,  which  she  did  at  full  speed ; 
but  though  her  stern  was  cut  and  crushed  to  the  plank 
ends  for  the  distance  of  three  feet  above  the  water's  edge 
to  five  feet  below,  the  only  perceptible  effect  on  the  ram 
was  to  give  her  a  heavy  lift.  The  Hartford  was  the  third 
vessel  which  struck  her,  but  as  the  Tennessee  quickly 
shifted  her  helm,  the  blow  was  a  glancing  one,  and  as  she 
rasped  along  our  side  we  poured  our  whole  port  broadside 
of  9-inch  solid  shot  within  ten  feet  of  her  casemate.  The 
monitors  worked  slowly,  but  delivered  their  fire  as  oppor- 
tunity offered.  The  Chickasaw  succeeded  in  getting  under 
her  stern,  and  a  15-inch  shot  from  the  Manhattan  broke 
through  her  iron  plating  and  heavy  wooden  backing, 
though  the  missile  itself  did  not  enter  the  vessel. 

"  Immediately  after  the  collision  with  the  flag-ship,  I 
directed  Captain  Drayton  to  bear  down  for  the  ram  again. 
He  was  doing  so  at  full  speed,  when,  unfortunately,  the 
Lackawanna  ran  into  the  Hartford  just  forward  of  the 
mizzen-mast,  cutting  her  down  to  within  two  feet  of  the 
water's  edge.  We  soon  got  clear  again,  however,  and 
were  fast  approaching  our  adversary,  when  she  struck  her 
colors  and  ran  up  the  white  flag.  She  was  at  this  time 
Bore  beset :  the  Chickasaw  was  pounding  away  at  hei 
atern,  the  Ossipee  was  approaching  her  at  full  speed,  and 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT.  257 

the  Monongahela,  Lackawanna,  and  this  ship  were  bear- 
ing down  upon  her,  determined  upon  her  destruction. 
Her  smoke-stack  had  been  shot  away,  her  steering-chains 
were  gone,  compelling  a  resort  to  her  relieving  tackles, 
and  several  of  the  port-shutters  were  jammed.  Indeed, 
from  the  time  the  Hartford  struck  her  until  her  surrender, 
she  never  fired  a  gun.  As  the  Ossipee,  Commander  Le 
Roy,  was  about  to  strike  her,  she  hoisted  the  white  flag, 
and  that  vessel  immediately  stopped  her  engine,  though 
not  in  time  to  avoid  a  glancing  blow.  During  the  contest 
with  the  rebel  gunboats  and  the  ram  Tennessee,  and  which 
terminated  by  her  surrender  at  ten  o'clock,  we  lost  many 
more  men  than  from  the  fire  of  the  batteries  of  Fort 
Morgan.  Admiral  Buchanan  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  two 
or  three  of  his  men  were  killed,  and  five  or  six  wounded. 
Commander  Jonnston,  formerly  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  was 
in  command  of  the  Tennessee,  and  came  on  board  the 
flag-ship  to  surrender  his  sword  and  that  of  Admiral  Bu- 
chanan. The  Surgeon,  Dr.  Conrad,  came  with  him, 
stated  the  condition  of  the  Admiral,  and  wished  to  know 
what  was  to  be  doue  with  him.  Fleet-Surgeon  Palmer, 
who  was  on  board  the  Hartford  during  the  action,  com- 
miserating the  sufferings  of  the  wounded,  suggested  that 
those  of  both  sides  be  sent  to  Pensacola,  where  they  could 
be  properly  cared  for.  I  therefore  addressed  a  note  to 
Brigadier-General  R.  L.  Page,  commanding  Fort  Morgan, 
informing  him  that  Admiral  Buchanan  and  others  of  the 
17 


258  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FABKAGUT. 

Tennessee  had  been  wounded,  and  desiring  to  know 
whether  he  would  permit  one  of  our  vessels  under  a  flag 
of  truce  to  convey  them  with,  or  without,  our  men 
wounded  to  Pensacola,  on  the  understanding  that  the 
vessel  would  take  out  none  but  the  wounded,  and  bring 
nothing  back  that  she  did  not  take  out.  This  was  acceded 
to  by  General  Page,  and  the  Metacomet  proceeded  on  this 
mission  of  humanity. 

"  As  I  had  an  elevated  position  in  the  main  rig- 
ging near  the  top,  I  was  able  to  overlook  not  only  the 
deck  of  the  Hartford,  but  the  other  vessels  of  the 
fleet.  I  witnessed  the  terrible  effects  of  the  enemy's 
shot  and  the  good  conduct  of  the  men  at  their  guns  ;  and 
although  no  doubt  their  hearts  sickened,  as  mine  did, 
when  their  shipmates  were  struck  down  beside  them,  yet 
there  was  not  a  moment's  hesitation  to  lay  their  comrades 
aside  and  spring  again  to  their  deadly  work.  Our  little 
consort,  the  Metacomet,  was  also  under  my  immediate 
eye  during  the  whole  action  up  to  the  moment  I  ordered 
her  to  cast  off  in  pursuit  of  the  Selma.  The  coolness  and 
promptness  of  LieutenantrCommander  Jouett  throughout 
merit  high  praise ;  his  whole  conduct  was  worthy  of  his 
reputation.  In  this  connection,  I  must  not  omit  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  Department  to  the  conduct  of  Acting  En- 
sign Henry  C.  Nields,  of  the  Metacomet,  who  had  charge 
of  the  boat  sent  from  that  vessel  when  the  Tecumseh 
sunk.  He  took  her  in  under  one  of  the  most  galling  fire*  I 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGDT.  259 

ever  saw,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  from  death  ten  of  her 
crew  within  600  yards  of  the  fort.  I  would  respectfully 
recommend  his  advancement.  The  commanding  officers 
of  all  the  vessels  who  took  part  in  the  action  deserve  my 
warmest  commendations,  not  only  for  the  untiring  zeal 
with  which  they  had  prepared  their  ships  for  the  contest, 
but  for  their  skill  and  daring  in  carrying  out  my  orders 
during  the  engagement.  With  the  exception  of  the  mo- 
mentary arrest  of  the  fleet  when  the  Hartford  passed 
ahead,  and  to  which  I  have  already  adverted,  the  order 
of  battle  was  preserved,  and  the  ships  followed  each  other 
in  close  order  past  the  batteries  of  Fort  Morgan,  and  in 
comparative  safety,  too,  with  the  exception  of  the  Oneida. 
Her  boilers  were  penetrated  by  a  shot  from  the  fort  which 
completely  disabled  her,  but  her  consort,  the  Galena, 
firmly  fastened  to  her  side,  brought  her  safely  through, 
showing  clearly  the  wisdom  of  the  precaution  of  carrying 
the  vessels  in  two  abreast.  Commander  Mullany,  who 
had  solicited  eagerly  to  take  part  in  the  action,  was  se- 
verely wounded,  losing  his  left  arm.  In  the  encounter 
with  the  ram,  the  commanding  officers  obeyed  with  alac- 
rity the  order  to  run  her  down,  and  without  hesitation 
exposed  their  ships  to  destruction  to  destroy  the  enemy. 
Our  iron-clads,  from  their  slow  speed  and  bad  steering, 
bad  some  difficulty  in  getting  into  and  maintaining  their 
position  in  line  as  we  passed  the  fort,  and  in  the  sub- 
sequent encounter  with  the  Tennessee,  from  the  same 


260  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FABKAGUT. 

causes  were  not  so  effective  as  could  have  been  desired ; 
but  I  cannot  give  too  much  praise  to  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Perkins,  who,  though  he  had  orders  from  the 
Department  to  return  North,  volunteered  to  take  command 
of  the  Chickasaw,  and  did  his  duty  nobly. 

"  The  Winnebago  was  commanded  by  Commander 
T.  H.  Stevens,  who  volunteered  for  that  position.  His 
vessel  steers  very  badly,  and  neither  of  his  turrets  will 
work,  which  compelled  him  to  turn  his  vessel  every  time 
to  get  a  shot,  so  that  he  could  not  fire  very  often,  but  he 
did  the  best  under  the  circumstances. 

"  The  Manhattan  appeared  to  work  well,  though  she 
moved  slowly.  Commander  Nicholson  delivered  his  fire 
deliberately,  and,  as  before  stated,  with  one  of  his  15-inch 
shot  broke  through  the  armor  of  the  Tennessee,  with  its 
wooden  backing,  though  the  shot  itself  did  not  enter  the 
vessel.  No  other  shot  broke  through  her  armor,  though 
many  of  her  plates  were  started,  and  several  of  her  port- 
shutters  jammed  by  the  fire  from  the  different  ships. 

"The  Hartford,  my  flag-ship,  was  commanded  by 
Captain  Percival  Drayton,  who  exhibited  throughout  that 
coolness  and  ability  for  which  he  has  been  long  known 
to  his  brother  officers.  But  I  must  speak  of  that  officer 
in  a  double  capacity.  He  is  the  fleet-captain  of  my 
squadron,  and  one  of  more  determined  energy,  untiring 
devotion  to  duty,  and  zeal  for  the  service,  tempered  by 
great  calmness,  I  do  not  think  adorns  any  navy.  I  de- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAEEAGUT.  261 

sire  to  call  your  attention  lo  this  officer,  though  well 
aware  that  in  thus  speaking  of  his  high  qualities  I  am 
only  communicating  officially  to  the  Department  that 
which  it  knew  full  well  before.  To  him,  and  to  my 
staff  in  their  respective  positions,  I  am  indebted  for  the 
detail  of  my  fleet. 

"  Lieutenant  J.  Crittenden  Watson,  my  flag-lieutenant, 
has  been  brought  to  your  notice  in  former  despatches. 
During  the  action  he  was  on  the  poop  attending  to  the 
signals,  and  performed  his  duties  as  might  be  expected — 
thoroughly.  He  is  a  scion  worthy  the  noble  stock  he 
sprang  from,  and  I  commend  him  to  your  attention.  My 
secretary,  Mr.  McKinley,  and  acting  ensign  E.  H. 
Brownell,  were  also  on  the  poop,  the  latter  taking  notes 
of  the  action,  a  duty  which  he  performed  with  coolness 
and  accuracy. 

"  Two  other  acting  ensigns  of  my  staff  (Mr.  Bogart 
and  Mr.  Heginbotham)  were  on  duty  in  the  powder  divi- 
sion, and,  as  the  reports  will  show,  exhibited  zeal  and 
ability.  The  latter,  I  regret  to  say,  was  severely  wound- 
ed by  a  raking  shot  from  the  Tennessee  when  we  col- 
lided with  that  vessel,  and  died  a  few  hours  after.  Mr. 
Heginbotham  was  a  young  married  man,  and  has  left  a 
widow  and  one  child,  whom  I  commend  to  the  kindness 
of  the  Department. 

"  Lieutenant  A.  R.  Yates,  of  the  Augusta,  acted  as  an 
additional  aide  to  me  on  board  the  Hartford,  and  was  very 


262  LIFE   OF   ADMEBAL   FARRAGDT. 

efficient  in  the  transmission  of  orders.  I  have  given  him 
the  command,  temporarily,  of  the  captured  steamer  Selma. 

';  The  last  of  my  staff,  and  to  whom  I  would  call  the 
notice  of  the  Department,  is  not  the  least  in  importance. 
I  mean  Pilot  Martin  Freeman.  He  has  been  my  great 
reliance  in  all  difficulties  in  his  line  of  duty.  During  the 
action  he  was  in  the  main-top,  piloting  the  ships  into  the 
bay.  He  was  cool  and  brave  throughout,  never  losing 
his  self-possession.  This  man  was  captured  early  in  the 
war  in  a  fine  fishing  smack  which  he  owned,  and,  though 
he  protested  that  he  had  no  interest  in  the  war,  and  only 
asked  for  the  privilege  of  fishing  for  the  fleet,  yet  his  ser- 
vices were  too  valuable  to  the  captors  as  a  pilot  not  to  be 
secured.  He  was  appointed  a  first-class  pilot,  and  has 
served  us  with  zeal  and  fidelity,  and  has  lost  his  vessel, 
which  went  to  pieces  on  Ship  Island.  I  commend  him  to 
the  Department. 

44  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  refer  to  several  officers  who 
volunteered  to  take  any  situation  where  they  might  be 
useful,  some  of  whom  were  on  their  way  North,  either 
by  orders  of  the  Department  or  condemned  by  medical 
survey.  The  reports  of  different  commanders  will  show 
how  they  conducted  themselves. 

44 1  have  already  mentioned  Lieutenant^Commander 
Perkins,  of  the  Chickasaw,  and  Lieutenant  Yates,  of  the 
Augusta.  Acting  volunteer  Lieutenant  William  Hamil- 
ton, late  commanding  officer  of  the  Augusta  Dinsmore, 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGDT.  263 

had  been  invalided  by  medical  survey,  but  he  eagerly 
offered  his  services  on  board  the  iron-clad  Chickasaw, 
having  had  much  experience  in  our  monitors. 

"  Acting  volunteer  Lieutenant  P.  Giraud,  anothei 
experienced  officer  in  iron-clads,  asked  to  go  in  one  of 
these  vessels,  but  as  they  were  all  well  supplied  with 
officers  I  permitted  him  to  go  on  the  Ossipee,  under 
Commander  Le  Roy.  After  the  action,  he  was  given 
temporary  charge  of  the  ram  Tennessee. 

"  Before  closing  this  report,  there  is  one  other  officer 
of  my  squadron  of  whom  I  feel  bound  to  speak,  Captain 
T.  A.  Jenkins,  of  the  Richmond,  who  was  formerly  my 
chief  of  staff,  not  because  of  his  having  held  that  position, 
but  because  he  never  forgets  to  do  his  duty  to  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  takes  now  the  same  interest  in  the  fleet  as 
when  he  stood  in  that  relation  to  me.  He  is  also  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  second  division  of  my  squadron, 
and,  as  such,  has  shown  ability  and  the  most  untiring 
zeal.  He  carries  out  the  spirit  of  one  of  Lord  Colling' 
wood's  best  sayings:  'Not  to  be  afraid  of  doing  too 
much  ;  those  who  are,  seldom  do  as  much  as  they  ought.' 
When  in  Pensacola  he  spent  days  on  the  bar,  placing  the 
buoys  in  the  best  positions ;  was  always  looking  after  the 
interests  of  the  service,  and  keeping  the  vessels  from  being 
detained  one  moment  longer  in  ports  than  was  necessary. 
The  gallant  Craven  told  me  only  the  night  before  the 
action  in  which  he  lost  his  life  :  '  I  regret,  Admiral,  thai 


264:  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

I  have  detained  you  ;  but  had  it  not  been  for  Captaii 
Jenkins,  God  knows  when  I  should  have  been  here. 
When  your  order  came,  I  had  not  received  an  ounce  of 
coal!' 

"  I  feel  that  I  should  not  be  doing  my  duty  did  I  not 
call  the  attention  of  the  Department  to  an  officer  who  has 
performed  all  his  various  duties  with  so  much  zeal  and 
fidelity. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  D.  G.  FARRAGDT, 
"  Rear- Admiral,  Commanding  W.  G.  Squadron." 

There  was  a  fact  in  the  engagement  which  indicates 
the  depth  of  attachment  cherished  toward  the  "  Old  Sal- 
amander," as  he  was  familiarly  called  by  his  brave  "  boys." 
When  the  Hartford  retired  from  the  first  onset  upon 
the  rebel  flag-ship  Tennessee,  and  got  ready  to  dash  the 
second  time  against  the  enemy,  suddenly  she  was  her- 
self struck  with  tremendous  power  by  one  of  our  own 
vessels  moving  down  upon  the  same  defiant  leviathau 
of  treason.  There  was  a  fearful  crash,  and  the  alarm 
spread  among  the  loyal  seamen  for  the  Admiral's 
safety. 

Above  the  roar  and  din  of  the  strife  rose  the  voices 
of  loyal,  devoted  men,  "  The  Admiral !  the  Admiral ! 
Save  the  Admiral !  Get  the  Admiral  out  of  the  ship  ! ' 
All  thought  of  personal  safety  was  lost  in  the  intense 


THE  BATTLE  IN  MOBILE  HARBOR,  p.  258. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKEAGUT.  26f 

anxiety  of  those  brave  hearts  for  their  noble  commander. 
Sublimely  beautiful  illustration  of  unselfish,  merited  de- 
votion, amid  the  flying  shot  which  imperilled  every  life  ! 
It  was  a  crisis  of  thrilling  interest. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  the  Hartford  would  sur- 
vive the  shock,  and,  though  shattered  and  quivering  unde 
the  blow,  continue  to  float.  To  keep  above  water  wa» 
enough  for  the  untrembling  hero ;  and  turning  to  his 
valiant  fleet-captain,  his  order  was  :  "  Go  on  with  speed ! 
Ram  her  again  ! "  And  on  the  Hartford  went,  to  conquer 
or  go  down.  Just  before  she  reached  the  Tennessee  the 
white  flag  was  run  up,  and  the  enemy  was  ours  I  With 
such  a  glorious  leader,  who  declares  that  God  is  his  leader, 
success  must  wait  upon  action. 

"  The  moral  of  the  fight  in  Mobile  is — '  Get  close  to 
your  enemy ; '  the  nearer  the  better,  the  nearer  the  safer. 
The  rebels  imagined  that  the  ship  channel  leading  so  very 
close  to  the  powerful  Fort  Morgan,  no  ships  would  dare 
attempt  the  passage  ;  or,  if  the  attempt  were  made,  none 
would  succeed,  But  in  Farragut's  hands  this  peculiarity 
of  the  channel  became  an  advantage  to  the  attacking,  and 
a  weakness  to  the  defending  side.  He  carried  his  flag- 
ship, the  Hartford,  close  as  possible  to  the  stone  walls, 
and  instead  of  trying  to  batter  them  down  with  heavy 
snot,  actually  drove  the  gunners  from  their  guns  by  well- 
directed  volleys  of  grape  and  canister.  Tnis  would  be 
almost  incredible  ;  but  if  it  were  not  true  our  fleet  could 


26(5  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT 

not  have  passed  the  fort  and  water  battery  with  so  little 
.niury  as  it  received. 

"  The  novel  and  ingenious  expedient  of  lashing  his 
vessels  together,  two  and  two,  showed  how  thoroughly  the 
Rear- Admiral  had  considered  the  dangers  in  his  way,  and 
how  successfully  he  met  them.  First :  if  the  exposed  half 
of  his  fleet  had  been  disabled,  the  other  half  would  still 
have  gone  in  with  but  little  injury.  Second  :  his  battle  line 
was  not  liable  to  disorganization,  by  any  vessel  dropping 
out,  and  perhaps  fouling  another.  The  Oneida  was  dis- 
abled, but  her  consort  pulled  her  through,  and  the  Oneida's 
men  did  not  even  leave  their  guns.  Third :  if  any  vessel 
had  been  sunk,  her  consort  would  have  surely  and  quick- 
ly have  saved  the  crew.  Fourth :  his  battle-line  was 
shortened  by  half,  and  the  passage  of  course  robbed  of 
half  its  risks  to  the  fleet.  These  were  the  chief  points 
gained  by  Farragut's  admirable  and  novel  disposition  ot 
his  force. 

"  Farragu;  stood,  high  above  the  smoke  of  battle,  in  the 
main-top,  lashed  there  that  he  might  not  be  dashed  from 
his  perch  by  the  shock  of  concussion  with  the  enemy  s 
ships.  From  there  he  had  a  clear  view  of  the  field,  ana 
was  able  to  give  his  orders  with  precision  and  certainty. 
It  will  not  have  escaped  the  reader's  attention,  that, 
though  the  Admiral  did  not,  for  sufficient  reasons,  place 
his  own  ship  in  the  van  of  the  battle  in  passing  the  forts 
no  sooner  did  an  accident  cause  the  Brooklyn  to  slow, 


LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  267 

than  he  ordered  the  Hartford  to  pass  her,  and  lead  the 
advance." 

It  was  one  of  the  grandest  spectacles  ever  witnessed 
in  battle,  when,  lashed  to  masts,  the  admiral  looked  down 
from  his  exposed  watch-tower  upon  the  fiercely  raging 
contest.  It  made  his  men  wild  with  enthusiasm,  and 
will  always  be  admired  while  heroism  is  dear  to  the 
people. 

At  length  the  news  reached  England,  and  the  Times 
and  Naval  Journal  thus  replied  to  the  thunder  of  Farra- 
gut's  war-ships : 

"  Admiral  Farragut  has  been  the  most  successful  of 
all  the  Federal  officers.  His  achievement  in  the  present 
case  is,  as  we  have  said,  precisely  similar  to  his  opera- 
tions at  New  Orleans,  although  the  struggle  in  this  in- 
stance has  been  far  more  severe.  In  both  cases  he  has 
run  the  gauntlet  of  forts  supported  by  a  fleet.  At  New 
Orleans  the  Confederates  were  very  ill  prepared  ;  but  his 
success  in  the  present  instance,  against  what  we  may  sup« 
pose  to  be  the  matured  defences  of  two  forts,  cannot  but 
be  instructive  to  us  at  a  time  when  we  are  occupied  with 
a  scientific  contest  between  ships  and  guns.  It  would 
seem  that  where  the  passage  of  a  fleet  cannot  be  ob- 
structed, it  can  always  run  the  gauntlet  of  forts  at  the 
expense  of  a  certain  amount  of  loss.  The  defeat  of  the 
Federals  before  Charleston  has  principally  arisen  from 
the  facility  with  which  the  Confederates  have  obstructed 


268  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

the  channels,  and  have  thus  been  able  to  detain  the  Fed- 
eral fleet  under  the  fire  of  their  forts.  We  shall  look  with 
interest  for  the  details  of  this  engagement,  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  they  will  throw  some  light  on  this  disputed 
point  of  naval  warfare." 

"  Whatever  speculations  may  have  been  sent  abroad 
concerning  the  value  of  Farragut's  success  in  forcing  the 
forts  at  the  entrance  to  Mobile  Buy,  there  can  now  be  no 
doubt  of  the  signal  character  of  his  victory,  and  of  the 
serious  blow  given  to  the  Confederates  in  that  quarter. 
It  was  argued  that  he  had  done  nothing  more  than  run 
past  Fort  Gaines  and  Fort  Morgan,  and  sink  and  destroy 
a  certain  number  of  the  enemy's  fleet ;  that  his  position 
was  most  precarious,  as  his  transports  could  not  pass  the 
batteries,  and  that  he  would  have  to  run  back  again  for 
supplies  ;  that  he  could  not  get  up  to  the  town  in  conse- 
quence of  shoal  water  and  of  formidable  works  on  land ; 
and  that  he  could  not  hope  to  hold  his  own,  as  he  had  no 
troops  to  make  an  impression  on  the  sides  of  the  bay,  and 
prevent  the  transmission  of  supplies  to  the  forts  at  the  en- 
trance. Yesterday's  news  blew  all  these  speculations,  ar- 
guments, and  assertions  into  the  air,  with  one  exception. 
By  the  surrender  of  Fort  Gaines  on  the  west  side  of  the 
entrance,  and  by  the  voluntary  destruction  of  Fort  Powell 
on  Dauphin  Island,  the  position  of  Farragut  is  rendered 
secure.  The  middle  channel  is  left  open,  and  stores  can 
be  landed  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Gaines  ;  and  the  chan- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

nel  to  New  Orleans,  which  was  closed  by  Fort  Powell, 
near  Grant's  Pass,  must  now  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
victors.  How  far  Mobile  is  itself  in  danger  must  depend 
on  the  power  of  the  Federal  Government  to  send  such  an 
army  there  as  may  assist  and  cover  the  flotilla  in  its  future 
operations.  On  the  west  side  the  city  is  reported  to  be 
defended  by  very  heavy  earthworks  and  batteries  ;  and  on 
the  Dog  River  bar,  just  below  the  city,  there  is  a  line  of 
sunken  vessels.  On  the  east  side  there  are  few  works, 
but  the  city  is  defended  there  by  the  Tensas  River,  and 
by  the  deep,  broad,  and  rapid  Alabama.  However,  on 
that  side  lies  Pensacola,  and,  if  the  Federals  can  assemble 
an  army  there  to  march  straight  on  the  east  side  of  the 
city,  whilst  another  force  approaches  and  invests  the  west 
side,  the  Confederates  will  be  hard  set  to  hold  their  owe.. 
They  must  collect  an  army  to  defend  the  city  which  is 
now  between  four  hostile  points — New  Orleans  to  the 
west,  Sherman's  army  to  the  north,  Farragut's  fleet  to 
south,  and  Pensacola  to  the  east.  Next  to  New  Orleans, 
the  city  of  Mobile  was  the  greatest  cotton  port  in  the 
State.  It  was  lately  driving  a  considerable  trade  in 
blockade-running,  and  gave  abundant  supplies  to  the 
Confederacy  Now,  neither  can  cotton  go  out  nor  goods 
run  in,  and  Mobile,  its  inhabitants,  and  garrison,  are 
thrown  on  the  resources  of  the  impoverished  and  hard- 
pressed  Confederacy." 

"  T  "  has  celebrated  the  victory  in  a  beautiful  poem  • 


270  LIFE    OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT. 


"MOBILE   BAT. 

The  sea  upon  the  bar  is  smooth, 

Yet  perilous  the  path 
Where  Gaines'  and  Morgan's  bristling  gone 

Belch  forth  their  rebel  wrath. 
And,  close  beyond,  their  iron-clads 

Loom  in  the  breaking  day ; 
But  FARRAGUT  is  leading  us, 

And  we  will  clear  the  way. 

Fast  flew  the  shot,  fierce  shrieked  the  sheU 

Thundered  our  broadsides  back  ; 
It  seemed  the  very  fires  of  hell 

Were  bursting  o'er  our  track. 
But  steady,  onward,  pressed  our  ships, 

Careless  of  hurtling  death, 
Till  the  broad  waters  of  the  bay 

Gave  us  a  space  for  breath. 

One  ship  was  lost— our  wooden-walla 

Defied  the  walls  of  stone, 
And,  proudly  sailing  by,  gave  back 

The  greetings  fiercely  thrown ; 
But,  'neath  a  Monitor,  burst  forth 

Flame  from  the  treach'rous  wave : 
In  that  fell  flash,  staunch  ship  and  crew 

Sank  to  an  ocean  grave. 

Our  task  is  but  begun ; — see  where 
The  rebel  monster  ride, 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FAKKAatJT.  271 

In  armor  clad  of  matchless  proof, 

Vauntful  in  untamed  pride. 
They  long  have  been  the  rebel  boast, 

Monarchs  of  all  their  kind  ; 
Shot  fly  their  adamantine  sides, 

Their  rush  is  like  the  wind. 

Oil,  helpless  seem  our  oaken  hulls, 

Powerless  each  well-tried  gun : 
The  rebel,  in  his  pride,  believes 

The  fight  already  won. 
But  gallant  souls  are  panic  proof, 

In  God  their  hopeful  trust, — 
Spirit  is  mightier  than  flesh — 

Soul  than  its  casing  dust. 

Again  our  VIKING  leads  the  way ; 

Glorious  the  sailor  pride 
With  which  our  wooden-walls  dash  OR 

To  perils  all  untried. 
Whilst,  confident  in  iron  strength, 

The  rebel  monsters  leap, 
To  crush  us  'neath  their  iron  prows, 

And  whelm  us  hi  the  deep. 

Close  quarters  now  ;  we  cannot  fend 

The  blows  that  on  us  rain  ; 
Our  only  wish — our  only  thought — 

To  deal  them  back  again. 
Our  muzzles  touch  their  iron  sides, 

Our  ports  alive  with  flame ; 
Hurrah  !  our  thunderbolts,  close  driv'n, 

Crash  through  the  armored  frame. 


272  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT. 

We  heed  not  though  our  comrades  fall 

Like  leaves  at  Winter's  breath  ; 
Drunk  with  the  glorious  battle-rage, 

We  lead  the  Dance  of  Death. 
Berserkars  all,  we  little  reck 

Whom  ODIN'S  choice  may  be  ; 
The  carnage  only  fires  our  hearts 

Fiercer  for  victory. 

We  triumph  !  —  see  the  traitor  flag 

Is  doused  —  the  white  one  flies  ; 
The  rebel  admiral  has  struck  ; 

Conquered  the  monster  lies  ; 
A  second  yields,  whilst  far  away 

The  others  wildly  flee. 
Hurrah  !  our  wooden-walls  have  swept 

The  Cyclops  from  the  sea. 


Thanks  be  to  God  !  for  in  His  strengtf. 

We  won  the  glorious  fight  : 
May  He  receive  our  comrades  brave 

Who  bade  the  world  good  night 
And  may  our  people  oft  recall, 

Through  many  a  happy  day, 
The  men  who  fought  with  FAKRAOC*. 

In  bloody  Mobile  Bay. 
,  1864.' 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


The  National  Joy — The  President's  Thanks — Congressional  Action — Othei 
Voices  of  Gladness — Leave  of  Absence — Arrival  at  New  York — The  Wel- 
come— Is  created  Vice-Admiral. 


HE  "great  naval  victory"  thrilled  the  nation's 

5 
T 


heart  with  almost  the  intensity  of  joy  that  the 


fall  of  Vicksburg  did.  Both  places  had  long 
held  the  public  eye,  and  much  of  war's  resources 
had  been  expended  upon  them  when  they  yielded 

to  Yankee  prowess.     The  President  issued  the  following 

despatch : 

"  EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  September  3. 

"  The  national  thanks  are  tendered  by  the  President 
tc  Admiral  Farragut  and  Major-General  Canby  for  the 
skill  and  harmony  with  which  the  recent  operations  in 
Mobile  harbor  and  against  Fort  Powell,  Fort  Gaines,  and 
Fort  Morgan,  were  planned  and  carried  into  execution. 

"  Also,  to  Admiral  Farragut  and  Major-Genera) 
Granger,  under  whose  immediate  command  they  were 


274  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT. 

conducted,  and  to  the  gallant  commanders  on  sea  and 
land,  and  to  the  sailors  and  soldiers  engaged  in  the  opera- 
tions, for  their  energy  and  courage,  which,  under  the 
blessing  of  Providence,  have  been  crowned  with  brilliant 
success,  and  have  won  for  them  the  applause  and  thanks 
of  the  nation.  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN.** 

Congress  united  in  the  expression  of  grateful  admi- 
ration toward  our  heroes,  in  resolutions  of  a  similar  char- 
acter. In  giving  utterance  to  the  popular  gladness,  the 
Army  and  Navy  Journal  well  said  :  "  Rear- Admiral  Far- 
ragut  has  added  another  red-letter  day  to  our  naval  cal- 
endar. The  5th  of  August  will  be  '  kept*  by  old  salts,  in 
years  to  come,  as  commemorating  one  of  the  proudest 
and  most  daring  achievements  of  our  own  or  any  other 
navy.  Just  as  some  of  our  old  commodores,  veterans  of 
the  last  war  with  Great  Britain,  would  put  on  their  fight- 
ing coats,  and  fight  the  battle  over  again  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  some  one  of  Perry's,  or  Decatur's,  or  Hull's 
famous  victories,  so  will  the  veterans  of  this  war,  in 
years  to  come,  celebrate  the  passage  of  the  Mississippi 
forts,  and  the  victory  in  Mobile  Bay.  Nor  will  they  need 
to  boast  over  their  grog — for  the  plainest  and  baldest 
story  of  these  battles  will  excite  the  wonder  and  admi- 
ration of  the  listening  youngsters. 

"  In  the  attack  on  the  forts  and  fleet  of  Mobile,  Far- 
rognt  has  displayed  the  sume  rare  combination  of  qual- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  275 

ities  for  which  he  first  became  generally  known  by  the 
brilliant  passage  of  the  Mississippi  forts.  In  both  these 
actions  he  showed  himself  as  audacious  as  though  he  had 
not  a  grain  of  sense,  and  as  prudent  as  though  he  had  not 
a  spark  of  audacity.  He  is  as  great  in  preparation  as  in 
action ;  he  makes  such  novel  and  admirable  use  of  his 
means  as  to  baffle  all  the  plans  of  the  enemy ;  and  hav- 
ing prepared  himself  with  all  the  patience  of  the  merest 
plodder,  he  delivers  battle  with  an  impetuosity  which 
breaks  down  all  resistance. 

"  In  many  of  his  qualities  Farragut  resembles  Lord 
Dundonald,  the  bravest  and  truest  of  British  seamen ; 
the  Englishman,  above  all  others,  dear  to  the  hearts  of 
British  seamen.  It  requires  a  man  of  Farragut's  genius 
and  unconquerable  pluck,  a  man  who,  to  quote  the  words 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  is  willing  to  take  great 
risks  in  order  to  accomplish  great  results.  Tennesseeans 
may  be  proud  that  their  State  has  produced  two  such  men 
as  Andrew  Jackson  and  D.  G.  Farragut. 

"  Let  us  hope  that  Congress  will  at  its  next  session 
provide  a  proper  reward  for  the  old  hero,  to  whom  we  owe 
two  such  brilliant  and  important  victories.  Rear- Admiral 
is  at  present  the  highest  grade  in  our  navy.  It  is  an  ab- 
surd designation,  to  be  at  the  head  ;  and  we  cannot  think 
it  would  have  been  declared  such  had  not  the  Naval  Com- 
mittees intended  to  leave  the  opportunity  open  to  create 
the  higher  grade  which  the  title  ^ear-Admiral  supposes 


276  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

It  is  not  our  custom  to  reward  with  grants  of  money,  01 
with  titles,  the  great  achievements  of  the  nation's  leaders. 
But  it  is  fit  that  such  services  as  Farragut  has  rendered, 
and  as  others  may  render,  should  receive  the  acknowl- 
edgment which  sailors  and  soldiers  prize — an  advance  in 
rank.  We  have  now  the  grade  of  Lieut enant-General  in 
the  army ;  and  Farragut  has  given  cause  for  the  estab 
lishment  of  equal  grade  iu  the  navy." 

The  veteran  hero  continued  to  command  the  Gulf 
Squadron  during  the  subsequent  weeks  of  comparative 
rest,  till,  feeling  the  need  of  a  furlough,  he  was  granted 
leave  of  absence  for  three  months.  He  immediately  took 
a  warm  adieu  of  his  brave  men,  with  the  exception  of 
those  who  accompanied  him  in  the  flag-ship  Hartford. 

"  The  Hartford  sailed  from  Pensacola  November  20th, 
reaching  Key  West  December  4th,  and  on  the  8th  encoun- 
tering a  terrible  gale,  which  continued  for  two  days.  On 
the  12th  she  dropped  her  anchor  off  New  York.  The 
following  is  her  list  of  officers,  and  the  story  of  the  Ad 
uiiral's  reception : 

"  Rear- Admiral — David  G.  Farragut. 

"  Captain — Percival  Dray  ton. 

"  Lieutenant-Commander — Lewis  A.  Kimberly. 

"  Lieutenants,  J.  Crittendon  Watson,  H.  B.  Tyson,  La 
Bue  P.  Adams ;  Ensigns,  Wm.  H.  Whiting,  G.  B.  D 
Glidden ;  Acting  Master's  Mates,  George  R.  Avery,  W 
H.  Hathorne,  J.  J.  Tinell,  Jauies  Morgan,  Chas.  Brown  • 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  277 

Boatswain,  Robert  Dixon ;  Gunner,  John  S.  Staples ; 
Acting  Vol.  Lieutenant,  George  G.  Upham ;  Surgeon, 
Phillip  Lansdale ;  Assistant  Surgeon,  Wm.  Commons ; 
Paymaster,  Wm.  T.  Meredith ;  Chief  Engineer,  Thomas 
Williamson  ;  First  Assistant  Engineers,  E.  B.  Hatch,  F 
A.  Wilson  ;  Second  Assistant  Engineers,  Isaac  De  Graff, 
H.  L.  Pickington ;  Third  Assistant  Engineer,  James  E. 
Speights  ;  Secretary  to  Commander  of  Squadron,  Alex'r 
McKiuley ;  Acting  Ensign  to  Commander  of  Squadron, 
Wm.  Bourne ;  Paymaster's  Clerk,  Horatio  A.  Wood ; 
Carpenter,  Hiram  L.  Dixon  ;  Sailmaker,  Theodore  C. 
Herbert ;  Captain  of  Marines,  Charles  Hey  wood. 

"  The  committee,  to  whom  had  been  assigned  the  task 
of  welcoming  the  Hartford  and  her  commander,  proceeded 
to  the  foot  of  Broadway  at  11£  o'clock,  and  thence  em- 
barked on  board  Captain  Constable's  revenue  cutter  Bronx, 
which  Collector  Draper  had  kindly  afforded  for  the  occa- 
sion. Accompanying  the  collector  were  Messrs.  Francis 
Skiddy,  Isaac  Bell,  Mr.  Stewart,  the  Assistant  Treasurer, 
and  other  prominent  citizens.  There  was  considerable 
uncertainty  as  to  the  arrival  of  the  Hartford,  but  it  was 
the  fixed  determination  of  Collector  Draper  to  make  the 
trip,  in  order  that  the  gallant  conqueror  of  Fort  Morgan 
should  be  met  with  welcome  at  the  very  mouth  of  our 
harbor,  or  beyond. 

"  At  1£  o'clock,  however,  the  anxiety  of  all  on  board 
was  relieved  by  the  intelligence  that  the  Hartford  was  in 


278  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

sight,  and  coming  up  the  outer  bay.  Before  this,  however, 
it  had  boen  ascertained  from  the  bark  Australian,  which 
was  spoken  off  Staten  Island,  that  the  Hartford  was  at 
the  bar,  with  Admiral  Farragut  on  board.  All  haste  was 
now  made  to  reach  the  Hartford,  and  when  but  a  slight 
interval  remained  between  the  two  vessels,  Admiral  Far- 
ragut and  Captain  Drayton  appeared  on  their  poop-deck, 
and  exchanged  friendly  salutations  with  the  party  on  board 
the  cutter.  Enthusiastic  cheers  were  given  by  those  on 
board  the  ships.  The  latter  came  on  the  starboard 
side  of  the  flag-ship,  at  whose  mizzen-mast  flaunted  the 
blue  pennant  of  the  Admiral.  The  committee,  and  others, 
on  stepping  on  board  the  flag-ship,  were  heartily  greeted 
by  her  commander,  when  the  whole  party  proceeded 
down  into  the  principal  cabin.  After  having  taken  seats, 
and  preliminary  introductions  being  concluded,  Collector 
Draper  arose  and  spoke  as  follows : 

"  '  ADMIRAL  FARRAGUT  :  It  becomes  my  pleasing  duty 
to  inform  you,  on  behalf  of  a  committee  which  we  here 
represent  that  arrangements  have  been  made  to  tender  to 
you  a  reception  somewhat  worthy  of  your  great  services 
to  the  country ;  and  in  order  that  I  may  perform  my 
duty  acceptably  to  the  gentlemen  who  commissioned  me, 
I  have  to  state  that  they  are  ready  to  give  you  a  cordial 
welcome  on  your  arrival  in  the  city.  They  fully  appre- 
ciate the  honors  which  you  have  bestowed  on  the  flag  and 
tie  country,  which  you  have  so  often  successfully  defended 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKBAGTJT.  279 

You  justly  hold  a  prominent  place  in  the  affections  of  the 
city,  which  is  preeminently  proud  of  your  services.  On 
your  arrival  you  will  be  received  by  a  meeting  of  the 
leading  citizens,  who  will  be  ready  to  congratulate  you 
on  your  visit  to  the  city,  and  to  show  their  appreciation 
of  your  great  efforts  in  support  of  the  nation.' 

"  The  Collector  then  read  the  resolutions  adopted  at  the 
meeting  in  the  Astor  House  relative  to  the  Admiral,  and 
closed  by  expressing  the  pleasure  he  experienced  at  being 
delegated  with  the  other  members  of  the  committee  to 
escort  the  Admiral  to  this  city. 

"  The  Admiral  responded  very  briefly  indeed.  He  felt 
bound  to  return  to  the  committee  his  sincere  thanks  for 
the  manner  in  which  his  services  were  spoken  of  by  them, 
and  believed  the  consideration  was  applicable  to  his  com- 
mand. He  had  done  no  more  than  his  duty,  and  felt 
deeply  grateful  for  the  tokens  of  appreciation  he  had 
received. 

"  During  the  friendly  intercourse  that  followed,  the  Ad- 
miral pointed  out  several  curiosities  that  he  had  on  board 
his  ship.  Among  these  were  two  chairs,  placed  in  his 
cabin,  one  of  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  rebel  Gen- 
eral Page,  and  the  other  to  Admiral  Buchanan,  which 
latter  had  been  taken  from  the  Tennessee.  On  the  back 
of  the  first  w'as  the  inscription,  '  Brig.-Gen.  Page,  Au- 
gust 23,  1864,'  and  on  the  second,  'Admiral  Buchanan, 
August  6,  1864.'  The  iron-clad  Dictator,  bound  in  from 


280  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABRAGUT. 

her  trial  trip,  passed  within  a  few  yards  of  the  Hartford. 
The  crews  of  both  vessels  cheered  loudly.  On  nearing 
Governor's  Island  the  steamer  Henry  Burden  came  along- 
side, and  sent  on  hoard  General  Van  Vliet  and  Colonel 
Clitz,  who  paid  their  respects  to  Admiral  Farragut.  The 
French  steamer  Tysephone,  which  lay  in  the  vicinity, 
dipped  her  colors  three  times  in  compliment  to  the  Admi- 
ral, and  her  commander  also  came  on  hoard.  When  op- 
site  the  Battery  the  Hartford  was  anchored,  when  the 
Bronx  came  alongside,  and  taking  the  Admiral  and  entire 
company  on  board,  landed  them. 

"  Much  curiosity  was  manifested  by  members  of  the 
committee  with  regard  to  the  vessel  which  has  become  so 
famous  during  the  war.  Her  decks  were  tidy  enough, 
but  her  rigging  and  spars  bore  testimony,  from  their 
weather-worn  appearance,  to  the  severity  of  the  storm 
they  have  recently  withstood  ;  while,  perhaps,  an  observ- 
ant eye  might  have  detected  indications  of  sterner  strife 
than  that  of  the  elements — the  freshly  mended  battle-scara 
which  paint  could  not  wholly  hide. 

"  In  personal  appearance,  Admiral  Farragut  would 
suggest  to  the  minds  of  the  many  the  '  Sir  Gervais  Oaks ' 
of  Cooper's  novel  of  the  '  Two  Admirals.'  Hale,  hearty, 
and  of  rather  spare  but  powerful  mould,  the  hero  of  New 
Orleans  and  Mobile  Bay  is  apparently  between  fifty  and 
sixty  years  of  age.  He  looks  as  if  he  dearly  loved  a 
joke,  steps  with  the  springiness  of  a  boy,  and  his  manner 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  281 

is  so  perfectly  frank  and  unassuming  that  it  is  no  wonder 
that  he  is  beloved  by  his  officers  and  men. 

"  It  was  about  3^  o'clock  when  the  revenue  cutter 
Bronx,  with  Messrs.  Moses  Taylor,  Sloane,  and  a  few  other 
gentlemen  of  the  committee,  started  a  second  time  from  her 
dock  at  the  Battery,  for  Mrs.  Admiral  Farragut's  '  dear 
old  Hartford,'  which,  by  this  time,  had  come  to  anchorage 
in  the  harbor.  She  was  soon  reached,  and  Admiral  Far- 
ragut,  accompanied  by  Captain  Drayton,  Collector  Draper. 
General  Van  Vliet,  and  several  officers  of  the  ship,  de- 
scended to  the  deck  of  the  Bronx  ;  while  the  Hartford  sa- 
luted with  a  discharge  of  both  broadsides.  The  cutter 
pushed  off,  and  the  party  descended  to  her  cabin,  where 
the  short  interval  of  the  passage  to  the  shore  was  occu- 
pied in  a  social,  chatty  way,  the  Admiral  appearing  in  a 
most  excellent  humor,  but  having  little  to  say,  and  appar- 
ently somewhat  disconcerted  at  the  number  of  eyes  that 
were  fastened  upon  his  face.  But  a  few  moments  had 
elapsed  since  the  appearance  of  the  gallant  Hartford  in 
the  harbor  was  generally  known,  but,  nevertheless,  quite 
a  throng  collected  at  the  dock,  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  the  cutter,  and  anxiously  trying  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  hero  of  Mobile.  Cheer  after  cheer  arose  as  he 
stepped  on  the  pier,  and  before  reaching  terra  firma  the 
crowd  had  increased  to  hundreds,  and  the  Admiral  had  to 
run  a  gauntlet  of  outstretched,  welcoming  hands,  which  he 
good-humoredly  shook  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  before 


282  LIFE  OF   ADMIRAL   FAKEAOUT. 

reaching  the  coach  which  was  in  waiting.  In  this  he  al 
length  found  refuge,  accompanied  by  Collector  Draper, 
and  drove  toward  the  Custom  House,  followed  by  an 
omnibus  filled  with  the  remainder  of  the  suite.  The 
crowd  was  soon  left  behind,  and  probably  but  few  of 
them  knew  that  the  simple  hack  which  drove  so  rapidly 
up  Broadway  and  down  Wall  Street,  contained  the  distin- 
guished personages  which  it  did  until  its  arrival.  Here 
another  crowd,  wild  with  enthusiasm,  was  so  quickly  col- 
lected that  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  party,  with  the 
old  hero  in  their  midst,  and  followed  by  a  press  of  solid 
citizens,  could  penetrate  up  stairs  to  the  Collector's  room 
This  was,  however,  at  length  reached,  but  filled,  almost 
as  soon,  to  suffocation  with  the  eager  crowd,  but  a  small 
space  being  reserved  for  the  Admiral,  Messrs.  Draper, 
Taylor,  and  a  few  others.  Among  the  notables  present 
were  General  John  Cochrane.  General  Wetmore,  the  Hon. 
Hiram  Walbridge,  Assistant-Treasurer  Stewart,  and  a 
great  many  others." 

Collector  Draper  called  the  meeting  to  order,  and  in- 
troduced Moses  Taylor,  Esq.,  who  said  that,  in  behalf  of 
the  citizens  of  New  York,  he  cordially  welcomed  Admiral 
Farragut  to  the  metropolis.  He  believed  that  the  sub- 
committee, who  had  first  met  the  Admiral  on  board  the 
Hartford,  had  already  explained  the  programme  which 
it  had  been  determined  to  pursue,  which  left  him  little 
further  to  say. 


LIFE    OF    ADMITS  AT,    FAHRAGUT.  283 

Mr.  Draper  said :  "  At  the  request  of  the  Chairman 
of  the  Merchants'  Committee,  I  have  the  pleasure,  Ad- 
miral Farragut,  of  reading  to  you  the  proceedings  of  the 
meeting  held  at  this  place  yesterday  evening : 

Recognizing  the  illustrious  service,  heroic  bravery,  and  tried 
loyalty  which  have  distinguished  the  life  of  Rear- Admiral  D. 
G.  Farragut  in  the  cause  of  his  country — especially  the  lofty 
spirit  of  devotion  by  which  he  has  been  animated  during  all 
the  period  of  the  present  war,  and  the  signal  victories  achieved 
by  him  over  the  utmost  skill  and  effort  of  the  Rebellion  • 
therefore 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  fifty  citizens,  to  be  named 
by  the  chair,  with  power  to  add  to  their  number,  be  ap- 
pointed to  receive  Admiral  Farragut  on  his  arrival,  now  soon 
expected,  at  this  port. 

Resolved,  That  a  Federal  salute  be  fired  in  honor  of  the  ar- 
rival of  the  flag-ship  Hartford  with  Admiral  Farragut  on 
board. 

Resolved,  That  the  city  of  New  York,  following  the  exam- 
ple of  the  great  free  cities  of  the  world,  in  doing  honor  to 
their  illustrious  countrymen,  honors  itself  by  tendering  to  Ad- 
miral Farragut  an  invitation  to  become  a  resident  thereof,  and 
that  the  committee  be  appointed  to  devise  the  best  mode  of 
carrying  this  resolution  into  effect,  »o  that  the  man,  his 
achievements,  and  his  fame  may  belong  to  the  city. 

Resolved,  That  we  see  with  the  highest  satisfaction  that 
the  President,  in  his  annual  message,  and  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  recommend  the  creation  of  a  higher  grade  of  naval 
rank,  with  the  designation  of  Admiral  Farragut  as  the  recip- 
ient, as  a  national  recognition  of  distinguished  service  and 
exalted  patriotism. 

Retolved,  That  the  offer  made  by  the  Collector,  of  a  rer 


284:  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

enue  cutter  for  the  use  of  the  committee  in  meeting  the  flag- 
ship Hartford,  be  accepted  with  thanks. 

The  reading  of  these  resolutions  was  received  with 
hearty  applause  at  their  conclusion. 

Collector  Draper  then  said : 

"  ADMIRAL  FARRAGDT  AND  MEMBERS  OF  THE  COM- 
MITTEE :  Thus  far  we  have  fulfilled  the  duty  which  has 
been  assigned  to  us.  The  sub-committee  have  met  the 
Hartford,  and  found  on  board  her  honored  commander, 
Admiral  Farragut,  and  his  captain.  We  have  performed 
that  duty,  on  behalf  of  the  committee,  with  feelings  of 
pride  and  satisfaction  ;  and,  as  representing  a  generous 
community,  have  endeavored  to  exhibit  the  gratitude  of 
the  entire  nation,  as  expressed  through  this  city,  for  the 
services  and  gallantry  of  the  noble  Admiral  who  is  now 
before  us.  I  shall  say  nothing  more,  Admiral  Farragut, 
than  to  repeat  what  I  have  said  to  you  this  morning,  that 
all  our  citizens,  of  every  age  and  condition,  receive  you 
with  open  arms  and  heartfelt  gratitude." 

The  Admiral  arose  and  responded  as  follows : 

"  MY  FRIENDS  :  I  can  only  reply  to  you  as  I  did  be- 
fore, by  saying  that  I  receive  these  compliments  with  great 
thankfulness  and  deep  emotions.  I  am  entirely  unaccus- 
tomed to  make  such  an  address  as  I  would  desire  to  do 
upon  this  occasion ;  but,  if  I  do  not  express  what  I  think 
of  the  honor  you  do  me,  trust  me  I  feel  it  most  deeply. 
I  don't  think,  however,  that  I  particularly  deserve  any 


LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL    FAKRAGUT.  285 

thing  from  your  hands.  I  can  merely  say  that  I  have 
done  my  duty  to  the  best  of  my  abilities.  I  have  been 
devoted  to  the  service  of  my  country  since  I  was  eight 
years  of  age,  and  my  father  was  devoted  to  it  before  me. 
I  have  not  specially  deserved  these  demonstrations  of  your 
regard.  I  owe  every  thing,  perhaps,  to  chance,  and  to 
the  praiseworthy  exertions  of  my  brother  officers  serving 
with  me.  That  I  have  been  fortunate  is  most  true,  and  I 
am  thankful,  deeply  thankful  for  it,  for  my  country's  sake. 
I  return  my  thanks  to  the  committee  for  their  resolutions, 
especially  for  the  one  in  regard  to  the  creation  of  an  addi 
tional  rank." 

The  modest  address  of  the  Admiral  was  received  with 
immense  enthusiasm. 

Captain  Drayton,  who  will  be  remembered  as  a  loyal 
South  Carolinian,  and  as  having  distinguished  himself  in 
Dupont's  victory  at  Hilton  Head,  where  the  rebel  General 
Drayton  (brother  to  the  Captain),  and  commanding  the 
forts,  was  ignominiously  put  to  flight,  arose  upon  his 
name  being  mentioned,  and  said  : 

"  MY  FRIENDS  :  I  wish  to  remark  how  very  grate- 
ful I  feel  to  hear  my  name  associated  with  that  of  Ad- 
miral Farragut.  I  merely  happened  to  be  in  the  Hartford 
when  the  Admiral  won  his  glorious  battles,  and  am  de- 
serving of  no  gratitude  from  you.  Let  me  thank  you  for 
associating  my  name  with  the  Admiral's." 

Colonel  A.  J.  H    Duganne  then  read  the  following 


286  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAEKAGUT. 

masterly  and  stirring  ballad,  which  was  listened  to  with 
breathless  interest  throughout,  although  the  modest  Ad- 
miral wore  the  appearance  of  being  somewhat  overwhelmed 
with  eulogy: 

FARR  AGUT. 
I. 

Shipmates,  together  met 
Now  the  first  watch  is  set, 

Drain  we  a  can  to  night : 
God  keep  good  sailors  all ! 
Rest  to  the  brave  who  fall ! 
God  bless  our  Admiral, 

Leading  the  van  to-night 
Soon,  from  yon  Rebel  spars, 
Wearing  the  traitor's  Bars, 
We  shall  fling  out  the  Stars, 

Blazoned  with  Stripes  again  I 
High  over  battle  scars, 

Liberty's  types  again  I 
Now  may  the  song  I  bring, 
Loud  like  a  bugle  ring : 
FARRAGUT'S  name  I  sing, — 

Fill  up  your  pipes  again  1 

n. 

Down  drops  the  setting  sun ; 
Swift  rolls  the  darkness  on  ; 

Shipmates  !  the  Night  cometh  I 
Silent  are  trump  and  drum  : 
Silent  are  shot  and  bomb  ; 


UFE   OF   ADMIltAL   FAK11AGUX  231 

All  the  dark  fleet  is  dumb — 

Dumb,  till  the  fight  cometh ! 
Messmates  !  we'll  fill  the  can : 
Life's  but  a  little  span  ; 
Tender's  our  battle-van — 

Yonder  is  Farragut : 
Drink  to  the  Iron  Man — 

Drink  to  bold  Farragut ! 
Shells  be  the  cups  we  plight—- 
Cannons our  beakers  bright ! 
Blood  be  our  wine  to-night : 

Fill  up  to  Farragut ! 

QL 

Tell  us,  ye  planets  true 
Tell  us,  ye  waters  blue ! 

Whither  do  eagles  fly  ? 
Out  ot  what  ocean's  foam, 
Out  of  what  breaker's  comb, 
Born  from  what  coral  home, 

Soar  up  the  sea-gulls  high  ? 
Then  shall  our  answer  rise 
Higher  than  eagle  flies, 
Higher  than  sea-gull  vies, 

Upward,  with  Farragut : 
Upward,  through  Glory's  skiee. 

Sailing  with  Farragut ! 
HK  from  the  seas  arose, 
Grand  with  their  deep  repose ; 
White  with  their  silver  snows  . 

God  bless  old  Farragut  1 


UFK   OF   ADMLHAL    FARKAGDT 

IV. 

Out  of  War's  baptism, 
Sprinkled  with  fire-chrism, 

Glory  reveals  her  own ; 
Thus,  like  his  namesake  bold, 
DAVID,  renowned  of  old, 
Boyhood,  the  Man  foretold ; 

Glory  but  sealed  her  own ! 
Scarce  had  twelve  Summer  sun* 
Passed  him,  like  halcyons, 
When  with  immortal  ones 

Mingled  young  Farragut ; 
Breasting  the  British  guns, 

Battled  young  Farragut ! 
Bead  ye  our  Hero-Scroll, 
Shrined  in  the  Capitol : 
Fifty  years  back,  its  roll 

Bears  the  name — FARRAOVT 

v. 

Shipmates  !  ye  saw  the  man, 
Leading  our  battle  van, 

Calm  and  unfaltering : 
Under  Fort  Jackson's  hail ; 
Storming  St.  Philip's  mail ; 
Fronting  the  Rebel  gale, 

Stern  and  unaltering. 
Groping  through  shadows 
Fought  we  our  daring  way ; 
Up  through  that  gauntlet  fray, 

Led  by  bold  Farragut : 


LIFE   OF    AUMIKAL    FARKAGUT.  289 

Castles  and  ships,  at  bay, 

Pounding  on  Farragut ! 
Oh  !  what  a  deed  was  done, 
When  the  next  morning's  sun 
Told  us  Orleans  was  won — 

Won  by  our  Farragut ! 

YI. 

Shipmates  !  ye  've  seen  the  ware*. 
Building,  from  tropic  caves, 

Columns  gigantic ; 
Heard  the  great  waters  roar, 
Where,  on  the  angry  shore, 
Storm-ridden  Labrador 

Braves  the  Atlantic : 
But  the  seas  never  woke, 
Never  the  thunder  spoke, 
Wild  as  the  storm  that  broke 

Over  bold  Farragut — 
Fierce  as  the  battle-stroke 

Hurled  against  Farragut : 
Wnen,  from  those  Rebel  moats, 
Up  from  those  Rebel  floats, 
Six  score  of  cannon  throats 

Roared  against  Farragut ! 

TH. 

Oh  !  how  our  hearts  were  chilled, 
When  the  low  words—"  He's  kflled," 

Some  one  had  muttered ; 
Every  pale  mouth  was  shut, 
19 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARBAGUT. 

Yet,  with  one  meaning  mute, 
Asking  for  Farragut, 

Every  lip  fluttered. 
Quickly,  to  calm  the  doubt, 
"  Farragut's  here,"  we  shout : 
Then,  what  a  cheer  rang  out — 

"Farragut!  Farragut!" 
High  o'er  the  Rebel  rout, 

"  Three  cheers  for  Farragui ! " 
Clear  as  our  battle-cry, 
Pealing  up,  wild  and  high, 
Rending  the  murky  sky— 

"  Thank  God  for  Farragnt  1  * 

vm. 

Mates !  ye  have  heard  full  oft, 
How,  when  he  climbs  aloft, 

Under  the  risen  stars — 
Soon,  through  the  misty  top, 
Making  our  pulses  stop, 
Strange  voices  seem  to  drop 

Down  from  the  mizzen-span ; 
There,  with  bold  PORTER,  rides 
HULL,  of  the  "  IRONSIDES  ; " 
There,  brave  DECATUR  glides 

Close  to  our  Farragut — 
High  o'er  all  battle-tides 

Talking  with  Farragut  I 
Though  the  wild  typhon  pipes, 
I'hough  the  fierce  norther  gripei, 
Under  the  Stars  and  Stripes, 

There  sits  old  Farragut  t 


LIFE   OF    ADMIKAL    FAKRAGUT.  291 

EC. 

So,  when,  from  blazing  ports, 
Hurtling  at  Rebel  forts 

Gannon-blows  thunderous, 
Down  on  MOBILE  he  led 
War-ships,  like  dragons  red, 
While  all  the  deep  sea  fled, 

Quaking,  from  under  us : 
Where  the  blue  rockets  flashed, 
Where  the  hot  shell  was  dashed, 
Where  the  shot  madly  crashed, 

There  we  saw  Farragut ! 
High  at  the  mast-head  lashed, 

There  was  old  Farragut. 
Castles  once  more  we  passed ; 
Ships  on  the  shore  we  cast ; 
Lashed  to  our  banner  mast 

Still  was  bold  Farragut ! 

X. 

Messmates !  at  morn  we  fight : 
This  may  be  GUI  last  Bight ; 

Fill  up  the  can  again  I 
If  we  must  bravely  fall, 
God  keep  our  dear  ones  all  1 
God  shield  the  Admiral, 

Leading  our  van  again  ! 
When,  o'er  yon  channel  ban, 
Stream  out  the  rocket  stare, 
Then,  to  the  signal  spars, 

Up  will  climb  Farragut : 


292  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKEAGUT 

Listening  to  cannon-jars, 

There  will  be  Farragut ! 
Wrapped  in  his  battle-cloak, 
Woven  from  fire  and  smoke, 
God  bless  his  heart  of  oak  ; 

There  we'll  see  FAHRAGDT  ! 

The  poem  was  heartily  applauded  at  the  conclusion  of 
its  reading.  Admiral  Farragut  then  took  the  floor,  and 
shook  hands  with  the  people  as  fast  as  they  were  intro- 
duced to  him.  He  proceeded  from  the  Custom  House  to 
the  residence  of  a  friend  on  Twenty-third  Street,  wher« 
Mrs.  Farragut  was  expecting  him. 

You  will  recollect  that  when  the  last  war  with  Eng- 
land opened,  it  found  our  navy  in  a  sadly  weak  condition. 
It  was  so  when  the  rebellion  burst  upon  the  country,  but 
probably  will  never  be  again.  We  have  always  been 
afraid  of  large  military  organizations,  acting  almost  as  if 
we  should  have  nothing  more  to  do  but  shout  "  Inde- 
pendence now,  and  independence  forever !  "  A  careful 
observer  at  Washington,  when  Congress  reassembled  in 
the  winter  of  1864,  wrote  :  "  The  prejudice  against  a 
standing  army  and  a  large  navy  has  always  been  so  great 
in  this  country  that  we  have  never  completed  the  orgaui- 
zation  of  either.  In  the  army  the  only  grades  of  genei  At- 
we  permitted  were  brigadier  and  major-geuerals.  When 
we  wanted  to  make  Washington  a  full  general,  the  prop- 
osition was  opposed,  and  finally  it  took  a  special  enactment 


LITE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABKAGTJT.  293 

to  make  him  a  lieutenant-general.  Another  law  was  re- 
quired to  raise  Scott  to  the  same  rank,  and  still  another 
for  Grant ;  while  the  highest  grade,  that  of  full  general, 
which  all  other  large  armies  have,  and  which  the  rebels 
have  had  from  the  outset,  we  have  not  yet  reached.  So 
in  the  navy.  Before  the  rebellion  we  didn't  even  have  a 
commodore  ;  and  when  Foote  was  sent  to  Cairo,  and  Du- 
pont  to  Charleston,  each  in  command  of  a  squadron,  we 
had  no  way  of  distinguishing  them  from  any  other  of  the 
captains  in  their  fleets,  excepting  by  calling  them  '  flag- 
officers.'  Finally  the  last  Congress,  in  a  bill  reorgan- 
izing the  navy,  made  what  it  thought  a  wonderful  step 
forward,  and  authorized  commodores  and  rear-admirals. 
There  still  remain  two  higher  ranks,  common  to  the 
navies  of  all  civilized  countries — 'vice-admiral'  and  full 
'  admiral ' ;  while  in  some  navies,  as  in  the  British,  there 
are  three  grades  again  of  full  admirals,  distinguished  by 
the  colors  of  their  pennants.  In  his  forthcoming  message, 
the  President  will  recommend  an  advance  of  one  grade  in 
the  navy,  similar  to  that  given  the  army  last  session,  in 
the  revival  of  the  lieutenant-generalship.  The  new  grade 
will  be  that  of  vice-admiral ;  and  immediately  on  its  cre- 
ation, the  Navy  Department  will  recommend,  and  the 
President  will  nominate  to  the  vice-admiralty,  the  Sala- 
mander of  the  navy,  Rear- Admiral  Farragut." 

On  December  22, 1864,  a  bill  creating  the  naval  grade 
was  introduced  into  the  Senate  and  passed,  when  it  went 


294:  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT. 

to  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  was  also  unani- 
mously accepted  there.  The  following  day  it  was  signed 
by  the  President,  who  at  once  nominated  Rear-Admiral 
Farragut  to  the  position,  which  appointment  was  imme- 
liately  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  without  the  usual  for- 
mality of  referring  it  to  a  standing  committee.  Vice- 
Admiral  Farragut,  who  was  in  New  York,  was  imme- 
diately notified  by  telegraph  of  the  mark  of  distinction 
conferred  upon  him. 

The  rank  of  vice-admiral,  which  has  been  conferred 
upon  Farragut,  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  rank  of 
lieutenant-general,  which  was  conferred  upon  Grant. 
The  position,  however,  differs,  we  suppose,  in  this :  that 
while  Grant,  as  lieutenant-general,  has  command  of  all 
the  armies  of  the  United  States,  wherever  they  may  be 
operating,  Farragut,  as  rear-admiral,  will  not  have  com- 
mand of  all  the  naval  forces  of  the  United  States.  It  is 
practicable  for  one  officer,  in  a  central  position,  to  com- 
mand or  direct  all  the  land  forces ;  but  it  would  hardly 
be  practicable  for  one  officer  to  command  all  the  naval 
forces  on  the  Atlantic,  the  Gulf,  and  the  inland  rivers 
He  might,  it  is  true,  under  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
give  a  general  direction  to  naval  operations,  but  we  do 
not  understand  that  his  duties  in  the  future  are  to  be  of 
this  character.  He  will  still  continue  to  serve  his  country 
and  glorify  his  flag  from  the  deck  of  the  "  dear  old  Hart- 
ford." 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARBAGUT.  295 

"  The  deep  and  admiring  feeling  of  the  people  was,  thai 
Congress  and  President  have  seldom  done  any  thing  so 
entirely  pleasing  to  '  all  hands  of  us ' — as  one  of  the 
Hartford's  tars  would  say — as  the  establishment  of  the 
rate  or  grade  of  vice-admiral,  and  the  promotion  of  the 
brave  Farragut  to  that  new  rank. 

"  In  Farragut  the  ideal  sailor,  the  seaman  of  Nelson's 
and  Collingwood's  days,  is  revived  ;  and  the  feeling  of  the 
people  toward  him  is  of  the  same  peculiar  character  as 
that  which  those  great  and  simple-hearted  naval  heroes 
of  Great  Britain  evoked  in  the  hearts  of  their  country- 
men. In  these  days  of  steam-engines  and  iron-armor, 
the  good  old  race  of  seamen  threatens  to  die  out — to  be 
superseded  by  mechanics  and  engineers.  For  the  Moni- 
tors a  blacksmith  is  more  important,  in  the  general  opin- 
ion, than  the  best  sailor  that  ever  reefed  top-sails  or  hove 
the  lead ;  and  an  engineer  need  not  be  very  conceited  to 
fancy  himself  as  important  to  a  modern  frigate  as  her  first 
lieutenant.  But  Farragut  has  shown  to  the  naval  world 
that  the  virtues  of  the  old  school,  the  qualities  which  dis- 
tinguished Blake,  Nelson,  Decatur,  Preble,  and  Hull, 
long  before  steam-engines  and  iron-sides  were  thought  of, 
are  as  necessary  and  effectual  to-day  as  ever. 

"  Nor  is  the  country  ill-pleased  that  the  old  spirit, 
which  made  our  little  navy  famous  in  the  war  of  1812, 
asserts  itself,  and  approves  itself,  in  these  later  days,  and 
among  these  later  contrivances  ;  and  surely  to  the  seamen 


296  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT 

of  the  old  school  it  is  a  glorious  pledge  that  their  pro- 
fession will  live,  and  its  peculiar  virtues  remain  valuable, 
no  matter  by  what  accidents  the  conditions  of  the  combat 
are  changed.  Dauntless  bravery  and  the  fertility  in  ex- 
pedients which  is  born  of  the  never-ceasing  and  ever- 
changing  conditions  of  life  on  the  ocean,  compel  victory 
now  as  ever.  Farragut  has  shown  the  falsity  of  the 
belief  entertained  by  some  here,  and  by  rr.any  abroad, 
that  hereafter  a  sea-fight  is  to  be  only  a  work  of  '  man: 
strength  and  stupidness' — to  use  a  sailor's  phrase." 

The  modesty  with  which  the  Admiral  bore  his  h'  icra 
was  characteristic  of  the  man,  to  whom  duty  was  a  ycrd 
more  awakening  to  his  unselfish  ambition,  than  fame. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

*  «T»1— The  Merchants  of  New  York  and  the  Vice- Admiral— The  Test! 
/-•nlal — Correspondence — Farraput  at  Richmond — At  Norfolk — A  Ncb> 
H  »*«wh — Visits  other  Places — Vice- Admiral  Farragut  compared  Yth  Naval 
;  eroes  of  the  past— His  True  Greatness— A  Poet's  Offering. 

DECEMBER  21st,  the  New  England  Society  in 
New  York  celebrated  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  at  Plymouth  two  hundred  and  forty-four 
years  before,  at  the  Astor  House.  The  dining- 
hall  was  richly  decorated  for  the  occasion,  and 
presented  a  brilliant  spectacle.  As  our  Admiral  was 
among  the  guests,  a  sketch  of  the  exciting  scenes  will 
have  an  unusual  attraction. 

Upon  the  tables  were  ornamented  pieces  re-presenting 
the  landing  on  Plymouth  Rock,  the  ship  May  Mower,  Mile.s 
Standish,  a  New  England  cottage,  a  Temple  of  Liberty 
etc.  The  President  of  the  Society,  Mr.  Henry  A.  Hurlbut, 
presided  at  the  festive  board.  u  New  England,  I  Love 
Thee,"  was  sung  by  a  glee  club,  at  the  close  of  which 
Vice-Admiral  Farragut  entered  the  dining-room,  and  was 


298  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FAUKAGLT. 

hailed  with  nine  cheers  from  the  audience,  who  simul- 
taneously arose  and  greeted  him  with  the  wildest  enthu- 
siasm. Captain  Drayton,  who  accompanied  Admiral 
Farragut,  was  also  greeted  with  cheers,  and  both  gentle- 
men were  furnished  with  seats  at  the  head  of  the  table, 
on  the  right  of  the  President 

After  the  excitement  had  subsided  Mr.  William  C. 
Bryant  was  called  upon  to  respond  to  the  fifth  regular 
toast,  and  said :  *'  He  wished,  for  his  part,  that  all  the 
poets  of  New  England  were  present,  to  listen  to  the  praise 
that  had  been  bestowed  on  him.  It  was  a  theory  with 
some  historians  that  the  history  of  nations  had  its  origin 
in  poetry."  He  compared  the  rude  strains  of  the  po«ts 
of  the  pilgrimage  with  the  poetry  of  New  England  of  fl  e 
present  day.  We  were  now  drifting  into  che  purity  of  re- 
fined poetry.  The  poets  of  New  England  are  worthy  of 
the  high  praise  that  is  accorded  to  the  inspiration  that  fills 
their  verse.  He  rejoiced  that  he  lived  in  an  age  when 
heroism  was  coincident  with  humanity.  He  thanked  God 
in  his  providence  he  had  not  destined  the  country  to  short 
duration,  but  that  He  had  destined  it  for  a  long  duration 
of  peace  and  victory. 

After  the  reading  of  a  letter  from  General  Grant,  the 
President  called  upon  Vice-Admiral  Farragut,  who,  or 
rising,  was  greeted  with  the  most  boisterous  applause.  He 
said  :  "  Gentlemen,  I  do  not  know  what  yr  -r  expectations 
may  be  of  Vice-Admiral  Farragut,'  but  I  »+\  *•  it<-  *  'agh 


LIFE  OF  ADMIRAL  FAKRAGUT.        299 

of  Rear- Admiral  Farragut  to  know  that  he  is  not  very 
well  qualified  to  make  such  a  speech  as  you  would  wish 
to  listen  to.  I  am  happy  to  return  my  thanks  for  the  hos- 
pitable reception  and  enthusiastic  honor  I  have  always  re- 
ceived in  this  hall.  When  I  saw  you  last,  I  promised  to 
go  abroad  as  soon  as  possible,  to  keep  up  a  sympathetic 
feeling  with  your  association  in  another  quarter.  I  only 
wish  I  could  return  my  thanks  as  the  General  has  done 
by  a  letter ;  but  we  have  some  odd  notions  in  the  navy ; 
and  one  is,  that  we  share  our  shot  as  we  do  our  prize* 
money,  and  the  higher  the  rank  the  greater  is  the 
responsibility ;  and  hence  I  suppose  I  am  called  upon. 
I  can  back  up  what  the  gentleman  (Mr.  Bryant)  has  said 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  sons  of  New  England,  as  well 
as  of  other  States,  have  poured  out  their  blood  in  the 
South.  God  knows  they  have  poured  it  out  freely.'* 

As  Admiral  Farragut  took  his  seat  there  were  loud 
calls  for  Captain  Winslow,  who  responded  by  saying  that 
he  could  only  repeat  the  thanks  expressed  by  Vice-Admiral 
Farragut  at  the  warm  reception  that  had  been  extended 
to  him. 

Captain  Drayton  was  then  loudly  called  for.  In  re- 
sponse, he  said  that  there  was  an  old  idea  in  the  navy, 
that  no  navy  officer  could  speak.  He  thought  that  the 
reverse  had  been  shown  to-night.  His  great  fortune  lay 
in  his  association  with  Admiral  Farragut,  for  anybody 
who  came  in  contact  with  him  caught  a  little  of  his  spirit 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT. 

On  Saturday,  December  31st,  the  merchant-princes 
of  New  York,  who  had  for  two  weeks  been  quietly  dis- 
cussing the  form  of  a  fitting  testimonial  to  the  victorious 
Admiral,  met  him  at  the  official  headquarters  of  Collector 
Draper. 

Soon  after  eleven  o'clock  the  Vice-Admiral,  accom- 
panied by  Captain  Drayton,  was  warmly  greeted  by 
many  of  the  gentlemen  whom  he  had  met  before.  The 
meeting  was  then  called  to  order  by  Moses  Taylor,  Esq., 
chairman  of  the  committee,  who  said  that  to  him  had 
been  delegated  the  pleasing  duty  of  presenting  to  Vice- 
Admiral  Farragut  a  testimonial  from  his  fellow-citizens, 
and  with  the  testimonial  he  desired  to  offer  an  address, 
which  he  would  read.  The  address,  elegantly  engrossed 
on  a  large  sheet  of  parchment,  and  signed  by  the  com- 
mittee, was  then  read  by  Mr.  Taylor. 

Having  finished  the  address,  Mr.  Taylor  took  from 
the  table  a  large  envelope,  tied  with  red,  white,  and  blue 
ribbons,  containing  $50,000  in  Government  bonds,  and 
placed  the  roll  of  parchment  and  the  testimonial  in  the 
hands  of  the  Admiral,  who  responded  as  follows  : 

"  GENTLEMEN  :  I  cannot  allow  this  opportunity  to  pass 
•vithout  making  some  reply  to  what  you  so  kindly  say  of 
me  in  making  the  gift,  although  I  reserve  to  myself  the 
privilege  of  rendering  a  more  fitting  acknowledgment  at 
some  future  time.  I  will  now  respond  to  a  few  of  the 
points  in  the  address  as  I  remember  them.  As  to  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  301 

duties  you  speak  of,  that  were  performed  by  myself  in 
command  of  the  fleet  in  the  South  and  Southwest,  I  have 
only  to  say,  as  I  have  repeatedly  said  before,  that  they 
were  done  in  obedience  to  orders  from  the  Department 
at  Washington.  I  have  carried  out  the  views  of  the  De- 
partment in  accomplishing  what  I  promised  to  endeavor 
to  do.  In  opening  and  protecting  commerce  I  have  sim- 
ply done  my  duty  in  the  sphere  to  which  I  was  called. 

"  But  when  it  comes  to  personal  matters,  I  can  only 
say,  would  that  1  had  language  to  express  the  gratitude  I 
feel  for  what  you  have  done.  From  the  moment,  I  may 
say,  I  made  the  entrance  to  this  harbor,  I  have  been  the 
recipient  of  honors  of  every  description,  and  it  would  be 
impossible  for  me,  even  if  I  were  in  the  habit  of  making 
speeches,  to  express  what  I  so  heartily  feel.  As  to  be- 
coming a  resident  of  New  York,  nothing  would  be  more 
grateful  to  my  feelings.  I  came  here,  I  can  hardly  say 
as  a  refugee  ;  but  being  forced  out  of  the  South,  where  I 
had  resided  more  than  forty  years,  came  naturally  to 
this  city,  as  the  metropolis  of  the  country,  and  made  my 
resting-place  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  I  have  every 
reason  to  be  grateful ;  you  have  always  extended  to  me 
and  my  family  the  kindest  treatment,  and  it  would  be 
but  r^tural  that  we  should  feel  a  desire  to  be  with  you. 
But,  gentlemen,  you  know  I  am  a  public  officer,  and 
must  go  just  where  I  am  ordered. 

"  Still   it   may   be   that,    consistently  with   my    •>!>• 


302  LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL,    FARRAGUT. 

ligations,  I  can  be  here  ;  and  I  will  endeavor  to  make 
such  arrangements,  if  it  appears  that  at  the  same  time  I 
can  perform  my  duty  to  my  country." 

This  response  was  greeted  with  enthusiastic  cheers. 

Mr.  Simeon  Draper  was  then  called  upon  for  a  few 
remarks.  He  said  that  he  could  not,  by  any  eloquence 
of  his,  say  or  do  any  thing  that  would  adequately  express 
the  gratitude  of  the  nation  to  the  gallant  Admiral ;  but  as 
the  representative  of  the  Government,  and  of  those  there 
who  had  called  upon  him  to  speak  for  him,  he  wished  to 
say  that  this  testimonial  was  but  a  token  of  what  was  felt 
by  the  Government  and  by  the  people. 

After  this  interview,  so  pleasing  and  honorable  to  both 
the  hero  and  the  men  who  largely  furnish  the  resources 
of  national  prosperity,  the  letter  of  presentation  was  also 
placed  in  the  Admiral's  hands,  enclosed  in  a  tasteful 
blue  morocco  case,  lined  with  white  and  red  satin,  thus 
combining  the  loyal  colors.  The  handsome  cover  for  the 
worthy  testimonial  was  designed  and  gratuitously  fur- 
nished by  the  celebrated  jewellers,  Ball,  Black  &  Co 
The  correspondence  connected  with  the  gift  is  full  of 
patriotic  and  elevated  sentiments,  and  many  of  the  names 
of  the  donors  are  familiar  to  the  entire  country,  and  are 
associated  with  all  that  is  noble  in  the  enterprise  of  the 
great  metropolis. 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT.  303 

THE  COMMITTEE  TO  ADMIRAL  FARRAGUT. 

"  NEW  YORK,  December  31,  1864. 

'  To    Vice- Admiral  David  G.  Farragut,  Senior  Flag-  Officer  of  tht 
United  States  Navy. 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  It  is  but  an  act  of  duty  on  the  part  of 
the  citizens  of  this  commercial  community  to  acknowledge 
the  brilliant  services  you  have  rendered  to  the  country  in 
guarding  its  maritime  interests,  protecting  its  commerce, 
and  maintaining  the  honor  of  its  flag. 

"  The  gallantry  displayed  by  the  fleet,  which,  under 
your  orders,  opened  the  Mississippi  from  the  Delta  to  the 
Crescent  City,  deservedly  won  the  applause  of  a  grateful 
people  ;  but  still  later  in  the  contest  waging  for  the  restor- 
ation of  the  national  authority,  and  the  possession  of  the 
forts  and  territory  of  the  Union,  your  unparalleled  skill 
and  dauntless  intrepidity  in  forcing  the  entrance  of  the 
Bay  of  Mobile  and  capturing  its  defences,  thrilled  the 
hearts  of  your  countrymen  and  excited  the  admiration  of 
every  generous  nation. 

"  The  deeds  which  illustrate  alike  your  name  and  the 
naval  history  of  the  republic,  have  been  fitly  recognized 
in  your  promotion  to  a  grade  higher  than  has  ever  before 
been  known  in  the  American  navy  ;  a  rank  fairly  won  in 
bloody  conflict,  justly  bestowed  by  the  Government,  and 
gladly  hailed  by  the  American  people. 

"  The  citizens  of  New  York  can  offer  no  tribute  equal 
to  your  claims  on  their  gratitude  and  affection.  Their 


304  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARKAGUT. 

earnest  desire  is  to  receive  you  as  one  of  their  number 
and  to  be  permitted,  as  fellow-citizens,  to  share  in  the 
renown  you  will  bring  to  the  metropolitan  city.  This 
desire  is  felt  in  common  by  the  whole  community,  and, 
in  the  hope  that  it  may  not  be  inconsistent  with  your  own 
views,  the  grateful  duty  has  been  confided  to  us  of  placing 
in  your  hands  the  accompanying  testimonial ;  and  we  re- 
main, with  the  highest  respect  and  regard,  faithfully  your 
friends.  MOSES  TAYLOR,  Chairman. 

"  SAMUEL  SLOAN,  Secretary. 

"  JOHN  J.  Cisco,  Treasurer." 

REPLY  OF  ADMIRAL  FARRAGUT. 

"WASHINGTON,  January  17,  1865. 
"  To  Mr.  Motes  Taylor,  Chairman. 

"  SIR  :  Permit  me  to  return  my  thanks  for  the  com- 
plimentary remarks  made  by  yourself,  the  collector,  Mr. 
Draper,  and  Mr.  Low,  of  Brooklyn,  as  well  as  those  con- 
tained in  the  resolutions  of  your  honorable  committee. 

"  As  to  the  performances  of  the  fleet  under  my  com- 
mand, they  were  by  the  direction  of  the  Government, 
and  are  alike  attributable  to  the  gallant  officers  and  men 
who  served  under  me,  guided  by  a  kind  and  overruling 
Providence.  That  Government  has  evinced  its  full  ap- 
preciation of  my  services  by  my  advancement  to  a  grade 
heretofore  not  recognized  in  our  navy.  This,  sir,  was  all 
[  could  desire  and  more  than  I  expected. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAREAGUT.  305 

"But,  sir.  from  the  moment  I  entered  the  port  of 
New  York  up  to  the  present  time  I  have  been  the  re- 
cipient of  honors  and  hospitalities,  and  am  even  now 
called  on  to  express  my  grateful  acknowledgments  of  the 
receipt  of  this  last  mark  of  your  bountiful  generosity,  ac- 
companied with  the  kind  expression  of  your  hope  that 
I  will  become  a  citizen  of  the  metropolitan  city,  than 
which  nothing  could  be  more  consonant  with  my 
feelings. 

"  But,  sir,  I  am  still  the  servant  of  my  country,  and 
must  obey  its  summons  to  the  path  of  duty,  indulging  the 
hope,  however,  that  much  of  my  remaining  life  may  be 
spent  in  the  home  of  my  refuge,  whose  citizens  have  so 
munificently  guaranteed  a  birthright  to  my  descendants. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  D.  G.  FARKAGUT,  Vice- Admiral." 

"  NEW  YORK,  January  26,  1865. 
• '  Pice-Admiral  David  G.  Farragut,  United  States  Navy. 

"  DEAB  SIR  :  In  a  former  communication  addressed 
to  you,  we  alluded  to  some  of  the  grounds  upon  which 
the  loyal  citizens  of  New  York  were  desirous  to  express, 
in  a  fitting  manner,  their  sense  of  your  claims  on  the 
grateful  recognition  of-  the  country,  for  gallant  services 
rendered  at  a  period  of  imminent  national  peril. 

"  Of  the  fund  provided  for  the  declared  purpose  of 
rendering  you  a  tribute  of  respect  and  gratitude,  the  sum 
20 


306  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   PAKBAGUT. 

of  fifty-one  thousand  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  was 
appropriated  to  the  purchase  of  fifty  bonds,  issued  by  the 
National  Government,  of  the  value  of  one  thousand  dollars 
each,  with  accrued  interest ;  and  we  have  now  the  pleas- 
ure to  place  in  your  hands  a  check  for  the  surplus  remain- 
ing from  the  subscription. 

"  In  closing  this  duty,  one  of  the  most  grateful  we 
have  ever  been  called  on  to  perform,  we  offer  you  the  as- 
surance of  our  earnest  hope  that  you  may  long  be  spared 
to  shed  lustre  on  the  Navy,  and  to  enjoy  the  retrospect 
of  a  life  of  usefulness  and  honor  devoted  to  the  service  of 
your  country. 

"  With  sincere  regard  we  remain  faithfully  yours, 
"  MOSES  TAYLOR,  Chairman. 

"  SAMUEL  SLOAN,  Secretary. 

"  JOHN  J.  Cisco,  Treasurer." 

Early  in  the  new  year  the  vice-admiral  proceeded  to 
his  home  on  the  Hudson,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Farragut. 
The  citizens  had  met  to  prepare  for  them  an  appropriate 
reception,  General  Bo  wen  presiding,  and  passed  the  an- 
nexed resolutions : 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  inhabitants  of  Hastings,  in  common 
with  our  countrymen  everywhere,  entertain  a  grateful  ad- 
miration of  the  noble  character,  matchless  deeds,  and  heroic 
patriotism  of  Vice- Admiral  D.  G.  Farragut,  during  a  long  and 
brilliant  career  in  the  service  of  his  country,  and  especially 
throughout  all  the  present  rebellion;  and  that  his  achieve- 


LIFE   OF   ADMTTCAT.   FARRAGTJT.  307 

rcents  entitle  his  name  to  stand  proudly  among  the  most 
illustrious  naval  heroes  that  have  added  lustre  to  any  country 
or  any  age. 

Resolved,  That  we  hail  the  return  of  Admiral  Farragut 
from  the  scenes  of  his  perilous  and  victorious  achievements 
to  the  village  of  his  residence,  with  the  highest  gratification, 
and  with  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  having  preserved  hia 
valuable  life  amid  the  dangers  and  trials  to  which,  with  equal 
bravery  and  devotion,  he  has  exposed  it. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  citizens  be  appointed  to 
tender  to  Admiral  Farragut,  on  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Hastings,  a  cordial  welcome. 

Mr.  Mills,  from  a  committee  consisting  of  himself, 
Mr.  Thomas,  and  Mr.  Prote,  reported  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  the  reception  should  be  conducted ;  and  their 
report  was  unanimously  adopted. 

The  consistory  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  hav 
ing  tendered  that  edifice  for  the  reception  of  Admiral  Far- 
ragut, the  offer  was  gladly  accepted  by  the  meeting,  and 
the  arrangements  directed  to  be  made  accordingly. 

An  announcement  having  been  made  that  Admiral  and 
Mrs.  Farragut  might  be  expected  at  Hastings  at  four 
o'clock  on  Saturday,  it  was  ordered  that  the  reception 
take  place  at  that  hour,  and  that  General  Bowen,  Mr. 
Chrystie,  Mr.  Crosswell,  and  Mr.  Mills,  act  as  a  com- 
mittee of  reception. 

In  accordance  with  the  proceedings,  all  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  reception  of  Vice- Admiral  Farragut  at  Has- 
tings-upon-Hudson,  were  fully  carried  out. 


308  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

In  Union  Square,  adjacent  to  the  railroad  station, 
surmounting  a  triumphal  arch,  decorated  with  evergreen* 
and  flags,  and  from  which  floated  a  large  national  flag, 
was  the  inscription,  "  Welcome  to  Admiral  Farragut." 
From  the  second  arch,  at  the  intersection  of  Valley  and 
Constant  Streets,  extending  from  the  Post  Office  across 
Constant  Street,  in  prominent  letters,  were  the  words, 
"  New  Orleans,"  "  Mobile,"  with  their  accessories  in  less 
prominent  capitals,  "  St.  Phillip,"  "  Jackson,"  "  Gaines," 
"  Morgan."  At  the  entrance  to  the  residence  of  an  artist 
citizen,  fronting  the  approach  from  Valley  Street,  was 
the  inscription,  "  Honor  to  the  Brave,"  over  the  initial 
letter  "  F,"  in  an  evergreen  chaplet.  And  at  the  church, 
in  front  of  the  vestibule,  was  another  arch  or  canopy  of 
evergreens,  roses,  and  flags,  a  large  national  flag  waving 
proudly  over  all. 

On  Saturday  afternoon,  soon  after  four  o'clock,  Admi- 
ral and  Mrs.  Farragut  stepped  from  the  express  train, 
amidst  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of  a  very  large  concourse  of 
residents  of  the  place  and  surrounding  country,  who,  not- 
withstanding the  depth  of  snow  which  had  fallen  all  the 
day,  had  assembled  to  greet  the  arrival  of  their  honored 
chief.  After  brief  congratulations,  the  Admiral  was  con- 
ducted to  a  sleigh,  and  Mrs.  Farragut  to  another,  the 
former  accompanied  by  two  gentlemen  of  the  committee, 
and  the  latter  by  a  lady  friend  and  Mr.  Chrystie,  of  the 
committee. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGrT.  309 

A  procession  was  promptly  formed — a  long  and  joy- 
ous line,  in  sleighs  and  on  foot — which,  starting  from  the 
square,  moved  to  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  The 
Admiral  entered  the  church,  the  band  striking  up, 
*'  See,  the  Conquering  Hero  Comes,"  when  he  was  con- 
ducted by  gentlemen  of  the  committee  to  the  open 
space  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  over  which  was  an  ever- 
green inscription,  "  May  God  bless  and  preserve  you." 
Every  part  of  the  interior  was  decorated  with  flags  and 
other  appropriate  emblems,  and  an  American  flag  over- 
hung the  entire  front  end. 

After  a  brief  pause  Mr.  Mills,  of  the  committee,  stated 
to  the  audience,  that  General  Bowen  had  been  expected 
to  make  the  opening  address  ;  but  as  that  gentleman  was 
unable  to  be  present,  he  had  been  requested  by  the  com- 
mittee to  read  an  address  of  welcome.  Mr.  Mills,  turn- 
ing to  Admiral  Farragut,  proceeded  as  follows  : 

"  ADMIRAL  FARRAGUT  :  The  residents  of  Hastings, 
one  and  all,  are  most  happy  to  have  this  opportunity 
to  welcome  your  return  to  their  village.  And  they  do  this 
with  heartfelt  cordiality.  The  emblems  around  you  in 
this  sacred  edifice  are  proofs  of  this  feeling,  and  with 
their  glorious  associations,  must  recall  scenes  and  enkin- 
dle emotions  dear  to  every  patriotic  heart.  Be  assured, 
dear  sir,  that  this  is  the  sentiment  of  this  entire  assem- 
blage, and  that  its  application  to  you  springs  not  only 
from  admiration  of  heroic  achievements  which  have  shed 


310  JL.IFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT. 

imperishable  glory  on  your  country,  but  from  the  respect 
and  esteem  they  entertain  for  a  much  loved  and  honored 
townsuian.  Permit  me  to  add,  in  their  behalf,  that  the 
longer  the  paramount  claims  of  a  service  to  which  you 
have  g  ven  unequalled  victory  and  renown  shall  allow 
you  to  remain  with  us,  the  greater  will  be  their  gratifi 
cation." 

To  which  the  Admiral  responded  as  follows : 
"  MY  FRIENDS  AND  FELLOW  CITIZENS  :  It  gives  me 
great  pleasure  to  meet  you  all  once  more  at  your  happy 
homes.  I  shall  not  attempt  an  elaborate  response  to  your 
kind  greetings  and  generous  words.  But  let  me,  at  least, 
assure  you  that  the  warmth  of  feeling  so  liberally  mani- 
fested in  these  demonstrations  of  regard  and  good  will,  and 
by  this  large  assemblage  in  this  sacred  place,  have  excited 
all  the  sensibilities  of  my  nature,  and  are  gratefully  re- 
turned with  the  same  heartfelt  cordiality  with  which  they 
have  been  extended  to  me.  "When,  nearly  four  years  ago, 
I  came  to  this  village,  unknown  and  without  means,  a 
voluntary  refugee  from  my  country  because  I  could  not 
participate  in  measures  hostile  to  the  dictates  of  all  loyal 
duty  and  to  all  the  associations  of  my  life,  I  was  received 
with  open  arms  and  with  a  warmth  of  friendship  and 
a  sympathy  of  patriotic  and  social  intercourse  that  have 
ripened  into  attachments  and  associations  which  can  never 
be  effaced,  wherever  I  may  be,  or  whate^e^  may  be  my 
future  lot.  Here,  also,  when  absent  on  distant  duty  in  a 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  311 

service  dear  to  my  heart,  my  family  have  found  a  quiet 
and  agreeable  retreat,  where  the  hand  of  friendship  and 
the  kindest  attentions  were  ever  extended  to  me.  These 
thoughts  recall  emotions  for  which  my  good  friends 
ueed  no  apology.  [It  was  difficult  for  the  speaker  at 
this  moment  to  restrain  his  emotion.]  If  it  be  said  that 
Hastings,  as  a  village  name,  is  unknown  to  history  or  to 
fame,  it  may  not  be  forgotten  that  here  a  Garibaldi  found 
a  retreat  when  an  exile  from  his  much  loved  Italy,  and 
that  happy  has  been  a  Farragut  to  hail  from  it  under 
circumstances  not  altogether  dissimilar.  That  here,  also, 
a  Penuock,  the  companion  and  frieud  of  Farragut,  found 
a  resting  place,  until  enabled  by  most  valuable  service  to 
signalize  his  devotion  to  the  old  fiag.  Go  to  the  western 
waters  and  you  will  find  the  Hastings  gunboat,  one  of 
the  most  effective  of  her  class,  and  proudly  doing  her  duty, 
named  by  Captain  Pennock,  in  grateful  recollection  of 
hospitalities  enjoyed  here.  My  friends,  allow  me  to 
repeat  my  thanks  for  this  most  cordial  welcome,  and  to 
express  the  hope  that  our  next  assemblage  may  be  a  joyful 
celebration  of  the  restoration  of  peace." 

The  conclusion  was  received  with  uncontrollable  dem- 
onstrations of  feeling,  and  by  inspiring  music  from  the 
band.  The  Admiral,  then,  standing  before  the  pulpit, 
was  taken  by  the  hand  by  every  person  present — ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  the  happy  boys  and  children — each 
one  passing  up  one  aisle  and  down  the  other,  two 


312  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT. 

ladies  having  presented  him  beautiful  bouquets  at  kia 
entrance. 

When  this  ceremony  was  concluded,  with  many  pleas- 
ing incidents,  the  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Farragut  were  con- 
ducted to  their  residence,  over  the  entrance  to  which  their 
fair  neighbors  had  affixed,  in  evergreen  letters,  "  Virginia 
L.  Farragut." 

"  The  depth  of  the  snow,  while  it  did  not  seem  to  lessen 
the  largeness  of  the  attendance,  lent  enthusiasm  to  the 
scene ;  and  the  picturesque  appearance  of  the  trees  and 
all  objects  clothed  in  a  dazzling  mantle  of  white,  gave 
additional  zest  to  a  scene  that  will  be  long  and  gratefully 
remembered  by  the  inhabitants  of  Hastings-upon-Hudsoa. 
They  will  dwell  now  and  in  after  times  upon  the  coming 
of  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Farragut  as  among  their  most  cher- 
ished New  Year's  gifts." 

In  "  Carleton's "  visit  to  the  rebel  capital,  there  is 
another  glimpse  of  the  brave  Admiral,  and  also  of  our 
beloved  and  lamented  President : 

"  The  Capitol  Square  was  full  of  furniture,  beds,  bed- 
ding, barrels,  baskets,  pots,  kettles,  pianos,  sofas,  looking- 
glasses,  crockery,  and  hundreds  of  women  and  children 
who  had  passed  the  night  in  the  open  air,  among  the  sol- 
diers of  Gen.  Devens'  division,  who  cheerfully  shared 
with  them  their  rations. 

"  The  Capitol,  outside  and  in,  like  the  Confederacy,  is 
exceedingly  dilapidated.  The  windows  are  broken,  the 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

carpets  faded,  the  paint  dingy,  the  desks  rickety.  The 
members  of  the  Legislature  had  left  their  letters  and 
papers  behind.  Gen.  Weitzel  was  in  the  Senate  Chamber 
issuing  his  orders.  Gen.  Shepley,  Military  Governor,  was 
also  there ;  also  Gen.  Devens.  The  door  opened  and  a 
smooth-faced  man,  with  a  keen  eye,  firm,  quick,  resolute 
step,  entered.  He  wore  a  plain  blue  blouse,  with  three 
stars  on  the  collar.  It  was  the  old  hero  who  opened  the 
way  to  New  Orleans,  and  who  fought  the  battle  of  the 
Mobile  forts  from  the  mast-head  of  his  vessel — Admiral 
Farragut.  He  was  accompanied  by  Gen.  Gordon  of 
Massachusetts,  now  commanding  the  Department  of  Nor- 
folk. They  heard  the  news  yesterday  noon  and  made  all 
haste  up  the  James,  landing  at  Varina  and  taking  horses 
to  the  city.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  take  the  brave  Admiral's 
hand,  and  answer  his  eager  questions  as  to  what  Grant 
had  done.  Being  latest  of  all  present  from  St.  Peters- 
burg I  could  give  him  the  desired  information.  '  Thank 
God,  it  is  about  over,'  said  he,  meaning  the  rebellion. 

"  I  was  standing  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  viewing 
the  scene  of  desolation,  when  a  boat,  pulled  by  twelve 
sailors,  came  up  stream.  It  contained  President  Lincoln 
and  his  son,  Admiral  Porter,  Capt.  Penrose  of  the  army, 
Capt.  A.  H.  Adams  of  the  navy,  Lieut.  W.  W.  Clemens 
of  the  signal  corps.  Somehow  the  negroes  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  ascertained  that  the  tall  man  wearing  a  black 
hat  was  President  Lincoln  There  wa»  a  sudden  shout. 


314  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAEKAGDT. 

An  officer  who  had  just  picked  up  fifty  negroes  to  do  work 
on  the  dock,  fouiid  himself  alone.  They  left  work  and 
crowded  round  the  President.  As  he  approached  I  said 
to  a  colored  woman  : 

"  *  There  is  the  man  who  made  you  free.' 

"'What,  massa?' 

"  '  That  is  President  Lincoln.' 

"  *  Dat  President  Linkum  ? ' 

" « Yes.' 

••  She  gazed  at  him  a  moment,  clapped  her  hands  and 
jumped  straight  up  and  down,  shouting  '  Glory,  glory, 
glory  ! '  till  her  voice  was  lost  in  the  universal  cheer. 

**  There  was  no  carriage  near,  so  the  President,  leading 
his  son,  walked  three-quarters  of  a  mile  up  to  General 
Weitzel's  headquarters — Jeff.  Davis's  mansion.  What 
a  spectacle  it  was !  Such  a  hurly-burly — such  wild  in- 
describable ecstatic  joy  I  never  witnessed.  A  colored 
man  acted  as  guide.  Six  sailors,  wearing  their  round 
blue  caps  and  short  jackets,  and  bagging  pants,  with 
navy  carbines,  were  the  advance  guard.  Then  came  th# 
President  and  Admiral  Porter,  flanked  by  the  officers 
accompanying  him  and  the  correspondent  of  The  Journal, 
then  six  more  sailors  with  carbines — twenty  of  us  all 
told — amid  a  surging  mass  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
black,  white,  and  yellow,  running,  shouting,  dancing, 
swinging  their  caps,  bonnets,  and  handkerchiefs.  The 
soldiers  saw  him  and  swelled  the  crowd,  cheering  in  wild 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  315 

enthusiasm.     All  could  see  him,  he  was  so  tall — so  con 
spicuous. 

"  One  colored  woman,  standing  in  a  doorway,  as  the 
President  passed  along  the  sidewalk,  shouted :  '  Thank 
you,  dear  Jesus,  for  this  !  thank  you,  Jesus ! '  Another 
standing  by  her  side  was  clapping  her  hands  and  shout- 
ing :  '  Bless  de  Lord ! ' 

"  A  colored  woman  snatched  her  bonnet  from  her 
head,  whirled  it  in  the  air,  screaming  with  all  her  might, 
*  God  bless  you,  Massa  Linkum  ! '  A  few  white  women 
looking  out  from  the  houses  waved  their  handkerchiefs. 
One  lady  in  a  large  and  elegant  building  looked  awhile, 
and  then  turned  away  her  head  as  if  it  was  a  disgusting 
sight. 

"  President  Lincoln  walked  in  silence,  acknowledging 
the  salutes  of  officers  and  soldiers,  and  of  the  citizens, 
black  and  white  !  It  was  the  man  of  the  people  among 
the  people.  It  was  the  great  deliverer  meeting  the 
delivered.  Yesterday  morning  the  majority  of  the  thou- 
sands who  crowded  the  streets  and  hindered  our  advance 
were  slaves.  Now  they  were  free,  and  beholding  him 
who  had  given  them  their  liberty.  General  Shepley  met 
the  President  in  the  street,  and  escorted  him  lo  General 
Weitzel's  quarters.  Major  Stevens  hearing  that  the  Pres- 
ident was  on  his  way,  suddenly  summoned  a  detachment 
of  the  Massachusetts  4th  cavalry,  and  cleared  the  way. 

"  After  a  tedious  walk,  the  mansion  of  Jeff.  Davis 


316  LIFE   OF    ADMERAL   FAKKAGUT. 

was  reached.  The  immense  crowd  swept  round  the  cor 
ner  of  the  street  and  packed  the  space  in  front.  General 
Wcitzel  received  the  President  at  the  door.  Cheer  upon 
cheer  went  up  from  the  excited  multitude,  two-thirds  ol 
whom  were  colored.  The  officers  who  had  assembled 
were  presented  to  the  President  in  the  reception-room 
of  the  mansion.  Judge  Campbell,  once  on  the  supreme 
bench  of  the  United  States,  who  became  a  traitor,  came 
in  and  had  a  brief  private  interview  with  the  President  in 
the  drawing-room.  Other  citizens  called — those  who  have 
been  for  the  Union  all  through  the  war. 

"  The  President  then  took  a  ride  through  the  city,  ac- 
companied by  Admiral  Porter,  Generals  Shepley,  Weitzel, 
and  other  officers.  Such  is  the  simple  narrative  of  this 
momentous  event,  but  no  written  page  or  illuminated  can- 
vas can  give  the  reality  of  the  event — the  enthusiastic 
bearing  of  the  people — the  blacks  and  poor  whites  who 
have  suffered  untold  horrors  during  the  war,  their  demon- 
strations of  pleasure,  the  shouting,  dancing,  the  thanks- 
givings to  God,  the  mention  of  the  name  of  Jesus — as  if 
President  Lincoln  were  next  to  the  Son  of  God  in  their 
affections — the  jubilant  cries,  the  countenances  beaming 
with  unspeakable  joy,  the  tossing  up  of  caps,  the  swing- 
ing of  arms  of  a  motley  crowd — some  in  rags,  some  bare- 
foot, some  wearing  pants  of  Union  blue,  and  coats  of 
Confederate  gray,  ragamuffins  in  dress  through  the  hard 
ships  of  war,  but  yet  of  stately  bearing  ;  men  in  heart  and 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  317 

soul — free  men  henceforth  and  forever,  their  bonds  cut 
asunder  in  an  hour ;  men  from  whose  limbs  the  chains 
fell  yesterday  morning,  men  who  through  many  weary 
year?  have  prayed  for  deliverance,  who  have  asked 
sometimes  if  God  were  dead ;  who,  when  their  children 
were  taken  from  them  and  sent  to  the  swamps  of  South 
Carolina  and  the  canebrakes  of  Louisiana,  cried  to  God 
for  help  and  cried  in  vain,  who  told  their  sorrows  to 
Jesus  and  asked  for  help,  but  who  had  no  helper ;  men 
who  have  been  whipped,  scourged,  robbed,  imprisoned 
for  no  crime.  All  of  these  things  must  be  kept  in  re- 
membrance if  we  would  have  the  picture  complete. 

"  No  wonder  that  President  Lincoln,  who  has  a  child's 
heart,  felt  his  soul  stirred  ;  that  the  tears  almost  came  to 
his  eyes  as  he  heard  the  thanksgivings  to  God  and  Jesus, 
and  the  blessings  uttered  for  him  from  thankful  hearts. 
They  were  true,  earnest,  and  heartfelt  expressions  of 
gratitude  to  God.  There  are  thousands  of  men  in  Rich- 
mond to-night  who  would  lay  down  their  lives  for  Presi- 
dent Lincoln — their  great  deliverer — their  best  friend  on 
earth.  He  came  among  them  unheralded,  without  pomp 
or  parade.  He  walked  through  the  streets  as  if  he  were 
only  a  private  citizen,  and  not  the  head  of  a  mighty  nation. 
He  came  not  as  a  conqueror — not  with  bitterness  in  his 
heart,  but  with  kindness.  He  came  as  a  friend  to  alle- 
viate sorrow  and  suffering,  to  rebuild  what  has  been 
destroyed." 


318  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FABRAGDT. 

A  few  days  later  Farragut  proceeded  to  Norfolk 
Virginia,  revisiting  once  more  his  former  home  and  post 
of  official  duty  for  many  years.  An  amusing  incident 
marked  his  arrival. 

The  Admiral  had  come  ashore  from  the  Louisiana, 
the  regular  Baltimore  boat,  to  give  some  instructions  to 
the  express  man  with  regard  to  his  baggage,  and  was  re- 
turning aboard  of  her  to  join  his  wife  and  children  who 
were  still  on  the  boat,  when  upon  reaching  the  gangway 
plank  he  was  informed  by  a  guard  stationed  there  that 
he  could  not  return.  "  Are  those  your  orders  ?  "  interro- 
gated the  Admiral.  "  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  soldier,  "  and 
I  cannot  disobey  them."  "  Very  well,  then,"  returned 
the  Admiral,  "  I  can  wait  here  until  my  family  and  bag- 
gage come  ashore." 

At  this  stage  of  affairs  one  of  the  clerks  in  the  trans- 
portation office  at  the  dock,  who  recognized  the  distin- 
guished sailor,  went  up  to  the  guard,  and  privately  told 
him  who  it  was  he  had  refused  to  pass  on  board.  "  Can't 
help  it,"  replied  the  stubborn  sentry,  "  he  cannot  go  on 
board  unless  you  will  vouch  for  him !  "  And  accordingly, 
after  obtaining  the  proper  vouchers  from  the  clerk,  the 
highest  naval  officer  known  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  the  hero  of  New  Orleans  and  of  Mobile  Bay, 
was  permitted  by  the  sentry  to  return  on  board  the  boat  I 
The  affair  created  no  little  amusement  for  the  bystanders 
in  the  vicinity. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKKAGUT. 

The  Admiral  got  ashore,  however,  and  was  nailer' 
with  enthusiasm  by  every  loyal  heart.  In  a  public 
meeting  of  welcome,  he  made  the  subjoined  patriotic 
address : 

"  Mr.  Chairman,  Gentlemen  of  the  Union  League,  Fettow-Gitizens,  and 

my  brother  Officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy  ; 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  kind  remarks  which  you  have 
been  pleased  to  make,  and  I  wish  that  I  had  the  language 
to  express  myself  as  I  have  heard  others  very  near  me 
four  years  ago,  in  this  place,  when  we  had  our  best 
speakers  standing  forth  for  the  Union,  and  striving  with 
all  their  rhetoric  to  persuade  the  people  to  desist  from 
their  unholy  resolution,  and  cast  their  votes  for  the 
Union.  This  meeting  recalls  to  me  the  most  momentous 
event  of  my  life,  when  I  listened  in  this  place  till  the 
small  hours  of  the  morning,  and  returned  home  with  the 
feeling  that  Virginia  was  safe  and  firm  in  her  place  in  the 
Union. 

"  Our  Union  members  to  the  Convention  were  elected 
by  an  overwhelming  majority,  and  sent  to  Richmond,  and 
we  believed  that  every  thing  was  right.  Judge,  then,  my 
friends,  of  our  astonishment  in  finding,  a  few  days  later, 
that  the  State  had  been  voted  out  by  a  miserable  minority, 
for  the  want  of  firmness  and  resolution  on  the  part  of 
those  whom  we  trusted  to  represent  us  there,  and  thai 
Virginia  had  been  dragooned  out  of  the  Union.  Whal 
was  the  reason  for  this  act  ?  The  President's  call  fo/ 


320  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUTf. 

seventy-five  thousand  men?  Why,  our  arsenals,  navy 
yards,  money  in  the  mint  at  New  Orleans,  had  been 
seized,  and  Sumter  bombarded. 

"  Was  it  then  remarkable  that  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  should  call  for  troops  to  sustain  itself? 
Would  Jackson  have  submitted  to  this  ?  No,  for  I  recol 
lect  that  I  myself  had  the  honor  to  be  sent  to  South  Caro- 
lina to  support  his  mandate  that  the  Union  must  and 
should  be  preserved.  I  was  told  by  a  brother  officer  that 
the  State  had  seceded,  and  that  I  must  either  resign  and 
turn  traitor  to  the  Government  which  had  supported  me 
from  my  childhood,  or  I  must  leave  this  place.  Thank 
God !  I  was  not  long  in  making  my  decision.  I  have 
spent  half  of  my  life  in  revolutionary  countries,  and  I 
know  the  horrors  of  civil  war,  and  I  told  the  people  what 
I  had  seen,  and  what  they  would  experience.  They 
laughed  at  me,  and  called  me  '  granny '  and  '  croaker ; ' 
and  I  said,  '  I  cannot  live  here,  and  I  will  seek  some 
other  place  where  I  can  live,  and  on  two  hours'  notice ; 
and  I  suppose  the  conspirators  said  I  left  my  country  for 
my  country's  good,  and  thank  God  I  did.  I  went  from 
here  with  the  few  valuables  I  could  hastily  collect.  I 
was  unwilling  to  believe  that  this  difficulty  would  not 
nave  been  settled,  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  and,  as  every 
man  must  do  in  a  revolution  as  he  puts  his  foot  down,  so 
it  marks  his  life ;  so  it  has  pleased  God  to  protect  me 
thus  far,  and  make  me  somewhat  instrumental  in  dealing 


LIFE   OF    ADilliiAL    FARRAGUT.  321 

heavy  blows  at  the  rebellion.  I  bave  been  nothing  more 
than  an  instrument  iu  the  hands  of  God,  well  supported 
by  my  officers  and  men,  who  have  done  their  duty  faith- 
fully. I  hope,  my  friends,  that  this  day,  with  its  events, 
may  prove  the  culminating  point  of  our  revolution,  and  I 
hope  that  before  long  all  will  be  restored  to  that  peace 
and  reunion  which  has  been  sought  by  the  Government 
and  desired  by  everybody ;  and  then  you,  gentlemen, 
who  have  deserved  so  well  of  your  country  by  your 
steady  adherence  to  its  Government,  will  receive  the  re- 
ward which  fidelity,  and  honesty,  and  moral  courage 
always  deserve." 

We  find  in  the  Army  and  Naval  Journal  a  very  com- 
prehensive and  interesting  glance  at  the  great  naval  heroes 
of  the  past,  down  to  our  own : 

"  '  To  Farragut  be  endless  praise,  the  hero,  sailor,  man, 
The  boldest  sailor  trod  a  deck  since  history  began ! ' 

"Without  exaggeration,  flattery,  or  natural  conceit, 
it  may  be  calmly  stated,  with  a  consciousness  that  dis- 
proof is  impossible,  that  Admiral  Farragut's  achievements 
are  peerless  and  unexampled. 

u  Military  and  naval  history  proper  cannot,  justly,  be 
carried  back  much  beyond  the  commencement  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  A  few  instances  worthy  of  citation 
in  this  day  of  powder-development  did  occur  previous 
thereto,  but,  as  a  rule,  fighting,  prior  to  the  mobilization 
21 


322  LIFE   OF   ADMlliAL    FAREAGUT. 

and  general  introduction  of  portable  artillery,  was  pretty 
much  an  exhibition  of  barbarous  passions  and  instincts, 
varied  with  occasional  flashes  of  genius. 

1.  "  The  first  notable  instance  on  record  of  a  cannon- 
armed  fleet  attempting  to  force  a  channel  lined  with  forti- 
fications and  modern  artillery,  and   relieve  a  besieged 
place,  was  that  of  Louis  de  Boiaot,  Admiral  of  Zealand. 
This  prodigy  of  hazardous  valor  was  undertaken  25th 
May,  1576,  in  order  to  pass  the  gauntlet  of  Spanish  bat- 
teries, hulks,  chains,  piles,  and  submerged  bulwarks  of 
timber  and  ballast,  in  the  hope  of  rescuing  Zierikzee, 
hard  pressed  by  the  Spaniards.     The  intricacy  of  the 
channel,   the  force  of  the  tide,   the   shallowness  of  the 
harbor,  and  various  artificial  impediments  rendered  this 
audacious  marine  enterprise  very  similar  to  the  compara- 
tively recent  desperate  but  fatal  undertaking  of  the  Eug 
lish  fleet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Peiho.     Boisot.  on  his  flag 
ship,  the  Red  Lion,  performed  miracles  of  seamanship 
and  bravery,  but  failed,  and  perished,  leaving  behind  him 
the  reputation  of  having  been  '  one  of  the  most  enterpris- 
ing of  the  early  champions  of  Netherland  freedom— one 
of  the  bravest  precursors  of  that  race  of  heroes,  the  com- 
manders of  the  Holland  navy.' 

2.  "  The  Dutch  and  English  expedition  in  June,  1596, 
against  Cadiz,  had  a  brilliant  beginning,  and  if  John  of 
Duivenvoorde,  Lord  of  Warmond,  the  Holland  Admiral, 
had  been  listened  to,  would  have  ended  as  gloriously  as  it 


LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  323 

began.  The  English  Admiral,  Lord  Howard,  of  Effing- 
ham,  showed  an  utter  lack  of  perseverance  iu  this  case, 
although  he  had  been  persevering  enough  before  in  com- 
bating the  invincible  armada.  Essex,  who  displayed 
great  gallantry,  agreed  with  Duivenvoorde,  but  their 
resolutions,  counsels,  and  designs  were  overruled.  The 
defences  of  the  port  were  carried,  the  Spanish  fleet  de- 
stroyed, the  city  captured  and  pillaged,  and  the  great 
object  of  the  expedition,  the  destruction  of  the  prepara- 
tions and  revenues  of  Philip  III.  for  the  next  campaign, 
was  accomplished.  Nevertheless,  more  might  have  been 
done,  and  leaving  any  thing  undone  which  could  have 
been  achieved,  rendered  the  whole  a  comparative  failure 
*~-.d  a  source  of  great  discontent  to  the  Dutch,  who,  had 
they  been  permitted  to  carry  out  their  own  plans,  would 
have  im.de  this  exploit  a  magnificent  and  complete  suc- 
cess. 

3.  "  The  ~ext  in  order  is  Peter  Van  der  Does'  cap- 
ture of  Allagona,  in  the  Great  Canary,  on  the  26th  June, 
1599.  He  entered  the  port,  silenced  the  Spanish  forts 
and  batteries,  burned  or  captured  the  enemy's  war-ships, 
threw  himself  at  the  head  of  his  mariners  into  the  sea, 
waist  deep,  landed,  and  carried  the  citadel,  fortifications, 
and  town,  sword  in  hand.  The  fate  of  the  Admiral  of 
Holland  is  remarkable.  A  very  obese  man,  he  died  of 
the  melting  of  his  fat,  in  consequence  of  the  heat,  at  tha 
island  of  St.  Thomas,  under  the  Equator,  after  his  cap- 


LIFE    OF    ADMiiJAL    FAKKAGCT. 

turing  the  capital  La  Cidade  or  Pavoassan.  His  sailors 
in  order  to  preserve  his  remains  from  desecration  after 
they  retired, buried  him  like  Alaric,  and  to  conceal  tLe  place 
of  liis  sepulture,  piled  the  ruins  of  the  town  uj  on  his  grave, 
"  His  strange  mausoleum  was  thus  preserved  from  the 
profanation  usual  to  the  burial  places  of  departed  heroas, 
and  to  him  can  justly  be  applied  the  lines  of  the  poet : 

'  But  thou,  0  leader  of  the  free ! 
That  general  doom  awaits  not  thee  ! 
Thou,  where  no  step  may  e'er  intrude, 
Shall  rest  in  regal  solitude.' 

4.  "  The  fourth  glorious  example  in  our  series  is  the 
total  destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet  lying  under  the  guns 
of  the  fortress  and  batteries  of  Gibraltar,  on  the  25th  of 
April,  1607,  by  James  Van  Heemskerck,  Admiral  of  Hol- 
land.    This  great  seaman  had  accompanied  the  famous 
Barentz,  who  first  penetrated  and  wintered  within  the  ex- 
treme Arctic  Circle.     Out  of  four  thousand  combatants 

i 

the  Spaniards  lost  two  thousand.  Not  one  of  their  mag- 
nificent ships  escaped.  Heemskerck  fell,  as  it  were,  in 
the  arms  of  victory,  exclaiming,  '  Repair  the  loss  of  your 
captain  by  the  defeat  of  the  enemy ! '  This  glorious  vic- 
tory assured  the  independence  of  the  Protestant  Nether- 
lands. 

5.  "  The  fifth  instance  is  the  Dutch  Admiral  Jacques 
L'llermite,   who,  in   1625,  with  fourteen  ships,  in   the 
night,  forced  his  way  into  the  port  of  Lima,  Callao,  de- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   I     ttVAGUT.  325 

gpite  the  two  strong  forts,  mounting  one  hundred  and 
thirty  cannon,  which  defended  the  entrance,  besides  other 
batteries,  and  annihilated  a  magnificent  Spanish  fleet. 
Infuriated  at  not  getting  possession  of  tht-  treasure  on 
board  of  one  galleon  which  was  laden,  among  other 
riches,  with  2,000,000  pieces  of  eight,  $2,250,000,  which 
escaped  seizure,  he  steered  north,  took,  plundered,  and 
burned  Guyaquil,  and  then  returned  to  CalHo.  A  second 
time  he  burst  into  the  harbor  and  took  or  I  'irned  a  large 
fleet,  among  them  the  very  ship  with  the  $2,250,000 
which  he  had  not  been  able  to  bring  off  th  \  first  time. 
This,  says  the  English  Chronicle,  '  is  a  lesson  of  instruc- 
tion to  all  admirals  and  sea  officers,  how  far  pel  severance, 
seconded  by  duty,  may  prevail  over  the  best  prepared 
enemy  in  the  world.'  L'Hermite,  like  the  three  preced- 
ing admirals,  perished  without  affording  to  his  villing 
country  the  desired  opportunity  of  overwhelm^  her 
hero  with  rewards  and  honors.  He  died  at  sea,  ana  was 
buried  in  a  little  island  of  the  Pacific,  now  appart  \tly 
unknown,  styled  in  the  narrative  of  that  era  the  Isli  <fc 
Lima. 

6.  "On  the  8th  and  9th  November,  1658,  Jac<J 
Baron  van  Wassenaar,  Lord  of  Obdam,  Lieutenant-Ad 
miral- General,  transferred,  like  the  great  English  Admiral 
Blake,  from  the  land  to  the  sea  service,  and  strange  to 
say,  exactly  like  Blake,  promoted  from  a  colonelcy  of 
cavalry  lo  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Holland  navy 


£26  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

forced  the  sound,  despite  the  fortifications  on  either  side 
filled  with  veteran  troops  and  mounted,  even  as  we  un- 
derstand the  term,  with  very  heavy  cannon,  and,  in  the 
Dutch  battle  of  the  Baltic,  defeated  the  Swedish  Lord 
High  Admiral  "Wrangel,  and  relieved  Copenhagen  in  the 
last  extremity.  This  is  a  far  more  glorious  achievement 
than  the  English  battle  of  the  Baltic,  sung  by  Campbell 
in  his  magnificent  ode,  echoed  and  reechoed  by  the  huz- 
zahs  of  the  British  people.  A  martyr  to  the  gout,  Obdam 
directed  the  fight  from  his  arm-chair,  placed  at  the  foot 
of  the  mainmast  of  the  flag-ship  of  the  United  States  of 
that  era,  the  Union,  and  amid  the  torturing  fires  of  dis- 
ease, and  the  flames  which  partially  enveloped  his  vessel — 
subsequently  destined  actually  to  prove  his  funeral  pyre — 
and  the  danger  of  sinking,  as  she  had  five  or  six  feet  of 
water  in  her  hold,  calmly  distributed  orders,  and  set  an 
example  which  insured  a  glorious  triumph.  Obdam 
perished  in  the  explosion  of  his  flag-ship — the  same  vessel 
he  mounted  in  1658  at  the  battle  of  Lowestofle  in  1665 — 
fighting  heroically  to  the  last. 

7.  "  The  sixth  instance  is  Ruyter's  ascent  of  the 
I'hames,  on  the  day  fixed,  4th  June,  1667.  Forts,  fortifi- 
cations, ships,  chains,  booms,  every  defence  and  impedi- 
ment which  could  be  devised  at  that  time,  he  silenced, 
sunk,  or  burned,  burst,  and  defied.  The  terrified  English 
looked  on  and  saw  in  their  own  chief  river,  within  hear- 
ing of  their  capital,  the  portly  Dutchman,  perfectly  at 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAERAGUT.  327 

home,  taking  his  daily  exercise  in  promenading  the 
quarter-deck,  quietly  riding  to  her  anchor  as  in  a  home 
port,  drinking  his  beer  and  enjoying  his  ordinary  amuse- 
ment, feeding  his  chickens,  of  which  he  was  very  fond, 
and  always  had  a  number  on  board.  This  Lieutenant- 
Admiral-General  of  Holland,  the  Neptunian  Mars  or  the 
Pope  of  the  Ocean,  like  all  his  predecessors,  like  Tromp, 
the  'grandsire,'  himself  the  'Father'  of  Dutch  sailors, 
fell  in  battle  (off  Syracuse,  against  the  Protestant  Du 
Quesne,  the  greatest  Admiral  France  ever  had) ,  and  died 
on  board  his  flag-ship. 

"  Ruyter's  ascent  of  the  Thames,  two  hundred  years 
ago,  is,  perhaps,  the  nearest  approach  to  Farragut's 
ascent  of  the  Mississippi,  of  any  naval  achievement  on 
record.  But  the  dangers  encountered  in  the  two  in- 
stances were  not  to  be  compared. 

8.  "The  relief  of  Londonderry  in  July,  1689,  was  a 
regular  Farragut  operation  on   a  small  scale.     It  was 
bravely  conceived  and   gallantly  executed.     It  is  only 
mentioned  as  a  parallel  case  as  far  as  regards  the  resolu- 
tion and  perseverance  displayed. 

9.  "  The  destruction  of  Tourville's  fleet  at  La  Hogue, 
22d  and  23d  of  May,  1692,  was  a  glorious  exploit  of  the 
combined  English  and  Dutch  navies  under  Russel  and 
Van  Allemonde.     Any  one  who    reads   the  account  in 
Macaulay,  must  be  dull,  indeed,  if  his  heart  does  not 
thrill  at  the  magnificent  description  of  the  masterly  man- 


328  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FAJ2RAGUT. 

ner  in  which  the  allied  seamen  did  their  work.  Still,  the 
resistance  offered  by  the  French  navy  and  army  wa«*  no 
more  to  be  compared  with  that  encountered  by  Obdam, 
Ruyter,  Nelson,  and  others  mentioned  in  this  article,  than 
the  defence  of  Fort  Gaines,  at  Mobile,  can  be  compared 
with  that  of  Forts  Jackson  and  Philip,  on  the  Mississippi. 

10.  "Admiral  Sir  Peter  Parker's  failure  at  Charles- 
ton, S.  C.,  28th  June,  1776,  and  his  serious  repulse  and 
defeat  by  the  fire  of  Fort  Moultrie,  should  put  a  stopper 
on  the  English  in  comparing  their  admirals  with  our 
fighting  commodores,  much  more  with  our  first  Vioe- 
Admiral.     The  English  chronicles  acknowledge  that  they 
were  repulsed  with  great  loss.     Nor  did  the  fieet  fare  any 
better  attempting  to  force  the  passage  of  the  Delaware,  at 
Red  Bank,  or  Mudfort,  or  Manto  Creek,  as  the  action  is 
variously  styled,  23d  October,  1777.     In  those  cases  all 
the  advantages  would  seem  to  have  been  on  the  side  of 
the  British  navy.     Nevertheless,  they  were   treated  so 
badly,  that  they  were  glad  to  haul  off  and  abandon  their 
attempt. 

11.  "  Admiral  Nelson's  victory  of  Aboukir  or  battle 
of  the  Nile,  1st  August,  1798,  and  passage  of  the  sound, 
humiliation  of  Denmark,  and  capture  of  the  Danish  fleet, 
28th  March — 2d  April,  1801,  are  far  inferior  achieve- 
ments to  those  of  the  Dutch,  already  recorded,  and  not  to 
be  compared  in  audacity  and  genius  to  the  exploits  of  our 
Vice- Admiral    Farrajnit    at    New   Orleans   and   Mobile 


LIFE  OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  329 

The  second  British  expedition  against  Copenhagen  and 
capture  of  the  Danish  fleet  by  Admiral  Gambier  and 
General  Lord  Cathcart,  7th  September,  1806,  is  a  still  less 
remarkable  naval  enterprise. 

"  Duckworth's  passage  of  the  Dardanelles,  19th  Febru- 
ary, 1806,  and  destruction  of  five  Turkish  ships-of-war, 
was  child's  play  to  the  other  exploits  cited  ;  likewise  British 
Exmouth  and  Dutch  Vander  Capellen's  bombardment  of 
Algiers,  27th  August,  1816. 

"  Of  all  the  great  admirals  who  have  flourished, 
there  is  only  one,  as  a  man,  a  comparison  to  whom 
would  be  just  to  our  Farragut.  That  one  was  the  Dutch 
Ruyter.  Nelson  failed  or  fell  short  in  many  particulars. 
Among  other  things,  his  subservience  to  the  interests  and 
views  of  the  Court  of  Naples,  his  connection  with  Lady 
Hamilton,  the  judicial  murder  of  the  gallant  Carraccioli, 
are  serious  blots  upon  his  character.  Ruyter,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  a  Christian  republican  and  born  gentle- 
man. Sprung  from  the  lowest  rank  in  life,  he  never  for- 
got or  despised  his  extraction ;  and  having  risen  to  the 
highest  honors  and  grade  in  his  country's  navy,  and  won 
the  love  and  respect  of  his  countrymen,  of  all  Europe,  and 
even  of  the  haughtiest  monarchs,  he  desired  neither  titles, 
honors,  nor  appanages ;  content  to  be  what  he  was,  the 
most  respected,  simple  citizen  of  a  republic,  the  United 
States  of  former  days,  and  the  greatest  of  sea  captains. 
He  lived  a  model  of  Christian  simplicity ;  he  died  an 


330  LIFE   OF    AmrrRAT.   FAEBAGTJT. 

example  of  Christian  resignation.  No  aristocratic  01 
mundane  idea  of  Westminster  Abbey  as  a  burial  place, 
troubled  his  death  scene.  He  trusted  his  weather-beaten 
battle-torn  body  to  his  country's  love  and  gratitude,  his 
ioul  to  his  Maker's  mercy,  and  during  his  lingering 
agony,  he  thought  of  nothing  but  his  duty  and  a  prepara- 
tion for  another  and  to  him  a  better  world." 

Nothing  is  gained  by  "  apotheosizing "  a  successful 
commander,  while  a  happy  influence  only  can  be  exerted 
over  the  youthful  mind  by  a  just  estimate  and  delineation 
of  an  honorable  career.  And  we  have  yet  to  hear  of  a  stain 
upon  our  Admiral's  character.  Gifted,  manly,  temperate, 
brave,  and  Christian,  he  can  be  presented  to  American 
youth  as  a  worthy  and  safe  example  of  deserved  success 
in  life.  It  is  a  useful  study  for  young  officers.  The 
tendency  of  a  long  life  at  sea  is  to  a  pedantry  which  scorns 
new  devices,  and  cannot  easily  fit  itself  to  "  modern  im- 
provements ;"  but  Farragut,  who  served  bravely  as  mid- 
shipman half  a  century  ago,  in  the  most  desperate  sea- 
fight  in  our  own  or  almost  any  naval  annals,  shows  a 
mind,  after  so  many  years,  as  flexible,  as  unprejudiced, 
as  little  bound  to  old  ideas,  and  as  ready  and  able  to  use, 
and  to  use  brilliantly,  the  improvements  of  science,  as  the 
youngest  man  in  the  navy. 

"  It  has  passed  into  a  proverb,  that  no  man  is  a  hero 
to  those  who  are  most  familiar  with  him.  This,  like  all 
other  rules,  however,  has  wonderful  exceptions.  One  of 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT.  331 

these  is  Vice- Admiral  Farragut.  To  know  him  in  private 
life  is  to  recognize  the  reality  of  Tennyson's  lines  descrip- 
tive of  "Wellington.  In  that  case  the  eulogy  was  a  sketch 
of  the  poet's  imagination  ;  in  this,  Farragut's,  It  is  nothing 
more  than  sober  truth : 

'  Render  thanks  to  the  Giver, 
England,  for  thy  son, 

*  *  *  * 
Foremost  captain  of  his  time, 
Rich,  in  saving  common  sense, 
And,  as  the  greatest  only  are, 

In  his  smplicity  sublime. 

« 

*  *  *          •  * 

0,  voice  from  which  their  omens  all  men  drew, 

0,  iron  nerve  to  true  occasion  true, 

0,         *        *        tower  of  strength 

Which  stood  four-square  to  all  the  winds  that  blew ! ' 

"  After  an  hour's  interview,  any  one  who  converses  with 
this,  our  first  Vice-Admiral,  must  understand  why  he  was 
invariably  successful.  His  rule  is  undivided  command  and 
responsibility,  careful  preparation  and  vigorous  execution 
It  is  the  peculiarity  of  his  mind  to  extract  that  which  is 
really  useful  from  the  mass  of  counsel  offered,  estimating, 
as  he  should,  that  a  commander-in-chief  ought  always  to 
surround  himself  by  the  best  talent  his  command  will 
afford. 

"  In  this  way,  one  has  the  opportunity  of  hearing  the 
suggestions  of  a  number  of  men,  each  possessing  one 


332  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT. 

or  more  particular  gills,  and,  of  himself,  digesting  th« 
whole,  or  selecting  that  opinion  which  appears  the 
wisest. 

"  His  countrymen  love  and  admire  him  for  his  bravery. 
That  is  the  quality  most  always  conspicuously  in  the  public 
eye ;  to  the  people,  a  hero  is  a  hero  because  of  his  bravery. 
But  every  great  commander  has  been  much  more  than 
brave  ;  and  while,  in  the  naval  service,  fearless  determi- 
nation is  even  more  necessary  in  a  commander  than  in 
the  land  service,  our  Vice-Admiral  combines  with  this  one 
shining  quality,  many  more.  If  he  has  the  dash  of  a  boy 
of  twenty,  he  has  the  caution  of  a  man  of  a  hundred  and 
twenty.  He  prepares  as  carefully  as  he  acts  vigorously. 
In  the  capture  of  Mobile  Bay,  or  in  the  passage  of  the 
Mississippi  forts,  the  thoroughness  and  the  peculiarity  of 
his  preparations  were  as  remarkable  and  as  important  as 
the  irresistible  onset  in  which  he  led  the  way. 

"  And  in  his  plans  the  same  element  of  unexpectedness, 
of  novelty,  appears,  which  made  Nelson  a  great  com- 
mander, and  which  gained  him  his  most  brilliant  victory 
— that  of  the  Nile.  Farragut  penetrates  the  enemy's 
plans,  and  evades  them.  He  does  precisely  what  the 
enemy  does  not  believe  any  one  can  do.  In  almost  every 
position,  however  skilfully  defended,  there  is  a  weak 
point ;  commonly  it  is  a  point  which  he  who  holds  the 
post  would  not  attempt  were  he  leading  the  attack.  '  No 
man  can  go  there,'  says  the  defender  *  but  the  man  ol 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  333 

genius  will  go  nowhere  else.  Thus,  in  passing  the  Mo- 
bile forts,  we  have  been  told  that  Farragut  ordered  the 
ships  to  hug  the  forts,  in  order  to  avoid  the  line  of  torpe- 
do«s,  which,  as  he  correctly  judged,  was  laid  so  as  to 
intercept  and  blow  up  a  fleet  passing  anywhere  except 
directly  under  the  guns  of  the  fort.  "  Farragut  will  not 
dare  expose  his  ships  to  so  close  a  fire,"  Page  said  to  him- 
self; but  he  did  not  know  his  antagonist. 

Simple,  straightforward,  brave  as  a  lion ;  as  careful 
of  the  lives  of  his  men  as  he  is  careless  of  his  own  ;  fertile 
in  expedients,  and  animated  by  the  purest  patriotism,  the 
figure  of  our  Vice- Admiral  will  appear  in  history  loved 
as  much  as  admired,  the  ideal  of  sailors,  of  fresh,  un- 
selfish boyhood  ;  the  hero  of  all  hearts  ;  the  darling  of  the 
forecastle,  as  well  as  of  the  parlor.  May  he  be  preserved 
for  many  years  to  receive  the  grateful  admiration  of  his 
countrymen  !  Writes  a  surgeon  in  the  navy  of  Farragut : 

"  But  I  desire  to  speak  more  particularly  of  those 
heart  qualities  of  Farragut  that  do  not  manifest  them- 
selves to  the  public  eye  and  are  not  published  in  official 
bulletins.  The  greatest  of  American  essayists  says  that 
there  is  something  in  character  that  attracts  us  by  a  power 
as  natural  as  that  of  gravity.  No  one  who  has  ever  been 
brought  into  personal  relations  with  Farragut,  can  have 
failed  to  be  impressed  with  the  fact  that  there  is  in  that 
man  a  power  of  character  behind  his  deeds,  out  of  which 
his  life  has  grown. 


334  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT. 

"  Every  one  speaks  of  his  cordial  and  familiar  man 
ners.  He  strives  to  make  the  humblest  officer  or  man 
perfectly  at  home  in  his  presence.  The  modest,  the  un- 
assuming, the  timorous,  can  approach  him  and  talk  with 
him  as  with  a  parent,  He  abhors  the  '  otium  cum  digni- 
tate '  ideas  and  actions  of  many  navy  officers  of  high  rank 
Indeed,  he  would  not  have  lived  in  vain  if  he  accomplished 
nothing  more  than  to  demonstrate  that  it  is  possible  for 
an  officer  to  hold  a  high  position  in  the  navy,  and  yet  he 
familiar  and  accessible  to  the  poorest  and  humblest.  It 
seems  to  be  his  study,  a  part  of  his  profession,  to  consider 
the  feelings  of  his  inferiors. 

"  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  all  officers  and  men  are 
enthusiastic  in  their  devotion  to  their  brave  and  good 
leader  ?  There  is  a  great  deal  of  grumbling  in  all  squad- 
rons— especially  on  the  blockade.  Men  growl  from  habit. 
It  is  contagious,  and  spreads  rapidly  from  man  to  man. 
They  growl  at  the  rations,  at  the  weather,  at  the  orders 
and  regulations ;  growl  at  the  tardiness  of  supplies,  and 
delay  of  mails  ;  growl  about  the  management  of  the  war, 
and  all  the  internal  economy  of  the  ship  ;  growl  at  their  ship- 
mates and  superior  officers  ;  growl  in  their  messes,  growl 
about  the  food  and  the  bills ;  growl  especially  at  the 
caterer  and  steward,  and  all  who  are  laboring  for  their 
welfare — but  rarely  is  a  word  breathed  against  Farragut. 
He  is  to  them  not  only  their  Magnus  Apollo,  but  also,  as 
it  appears,  well-nigh  infallible.  Where  there  is  some 


LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL,   FARRAGUT.  33f. 

show  of  reason  for  censuring  his  conduct,  they  try  to 
shield  him,  and  make  others  bear  the  brunt,  just  as  the 
Mexican  legions,  in  their  battle  with  Cortez,  gathered 
around  the  person  of  their  leader,  determined  at  all 
hazards  to  ward  off  the  arrows  from  him,  whoever  else 
might  fall. 

"  The  sailor  loves  a  commander  who  is  not  afraid  to 
fight,  and  who  looks  well  to  the  interests  and  rights  of  the 
'  blue  jackets.'  Therefore  Jack  can  but  worship  Farra- 
gut,  who  is  always  his  friend  and  advocate,  and  who  has 
publicly  declared,  '  all  I  want  of  a  man  is  to  fight.' 

"  He  has  preserved  his  vigor  and  agility  for  over 
sixty  years  by  a  life  of  prudence  and  temperance  that  is 
rare  among  naval  officers.  Even  now  he  can  climb  the 
rattlings  with  the  sprightliuess  of  a  messenger  boy.  There 
is  life  in  his  every  movement.  There  is  magnetism  in  his 
step,  in  his  looks,  in  his  voice." 

Vice-Admiral  Farragut  visited  several  of  the  cities  of 
the  Northern  States  during  the  spring  and  summer  of 
1865.  A  sketch  of  one  or  two  expressions  of  popular 
enthusiasm  will  indicate  the  welcome  he  everywhere  r  - 
ceived  from  the  grateful  masses  : 

"  The  public  reception  of  Vice- Admiral  Farragut  and 
Major-General  Anderson,  at  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston,  was  at- 
tended by  a  very  large  concourse  of  people,  a  majority  of 
whom  were  ladies.  The  honored  guests,  accompanied  by 
Mayor  Lincoln,  on  making  their  appearance  upon  the  ros- 


3  16  LIFE    OF    ADMIRAL    FAK.UAGL'1. 

trum,  were  greeted  with  cheer  upon  cheer,  the  fluttering 
ot'  perfumed  handkerchiefs,  the  waving  of  hats,  and  other 
enthusiastic  demonstrations.  Admiral  Farragut  then 
stepped  forward  and  said  that  he  was  happy  to  meet  the 
citizens  of  Boston,  and  in  compliance  with  the  wishes  of 
his  Honor  the  Mayor,  he  and  General  Anderson  had 
come  to  the  hall  to  take  them  by  the  hand.  The  few 
words  spoken  by  the  Admiral  were  received  with  applause. 
The  distinguished  guests  then  took  their  positions  at  the 
rear  of  the  platform,  and  Mayor  Lincoln  stationed  him- 
self in  front,  to  direct  the  people  whenever  necessary,  as 
they  were  presented. 

"  The  multitude  began  to  ascend  the  platform  on  the 
left,  greeting  first  the  Admiral,  next  the  General,  after- 
wards  passing  down  the  other  side.  There  were  some 
interesting  and  affecting  scenes  in  these  exchanges  of 
salutations  between  the  brave  heroes  and  the  grateful 
public.  Among  the  foremost  who  came  upon  the  plat- 
form to  grasp  the  hands  of  the  patriotic  and  brave  Gen- 
eral and  the  unexcelled  naval  commander,  was  Brigadier 
General  Hinks.  The  General  was  personally  introduced 
to  General  Anderson  by  His  Honor  the  Mayor,  as  '  the 
gentleman  who  wrote  the  letter  to  him  when  he  was  in 
Fort  Moultrie,  tendering  him  the  aid  of  Massachusetts 
troops.'  The  greeting  was  very  cordial,  and  the  hero  of 
Fort  Sumter  remarked  that  he  should  have  answered  the 
letter  if  he  had  then  had  the  authority.  The  two  re- 


LIFE   OF   ADMIKAL   FAKKAGUT.  337 

mained  in  social  conversation  for  sonic  time.  A  crippled 
soldier  of  the  llth  New  Hampshire  regiment  with  some 
difficulty  succeeded  in  ascending  the  rostrum,  and  was 
graciously  received.  General  Anderson  asked  him  to 
sit  down  upon  the  sofa  and  rest,  saying,  '  These  are  the 
men  who  deserve  our  thanks.'  Another  maimed  veteran 
extended  the  only  hand  left  him,  which  was  cordially 
shaken,  General  Anderson  remarking, '  I  am  glad  to  take 
hold  of  that  hand,  my  friend.'  Several  Jack  tars  run  the 
gauntlet,  and  were  warmly  greeted  by  both  officers,  greatly 
to  the  approbation  of  the  spectators.  One  jolly  fellow, 
belonging  to  the  Monadnock,  twice  went  the  rounds, 
and  gave  the  Admiral  a  tremendous  shaking  each  time, 
expressing  in  strong  terms  his  admiration  for  the  hero  of 
New  Orleans.  One  old  fellow  recounted  the  many  en- 
gagements that  he  had  participated  in,  and  embraced  the 
opportunity  to  entreat  the  Admiral  to  get  him  a  situation. 
An  elderly  lady,  whose  form  was  bent  and  tremulous 
with  age  and  trouble,  was  introduced  as  a  mother  who 
had  given  three  brave  sons  to  the  country.  General  An- 
derson feelingly  said, '  God  bless  you  for  that,  madam.' 

"  The  salutations  and  greetings  were  various — ex- 
pressive of  affection,  admiration,  congratulation,  lauda- 
tion, or  benediction,  as  the  case  may  be.  Many  brought 
brief  written  addresses,  which  they  handed  to  the  officer 
to  whom  they  were  addressed.  Frequently  some  one  would 
fervently  remark,  on  greeting  the  distinguished  heroes 
22 


338  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGTJT. 

4  God  bless  you,  sirs.'  One  pretty  young  lady  said  to 
General  Anderson,  '  General,  I  had  a  brother  with  you 
in  Sumter  ;  God  bless  you  for  your  pluck.'  One  enthusi- 
astic gentleman  proudly  exclaimed,  '  Our  country,  the 
glory  of  the  world ! '  to  which  General  Anderson  re- 
sponded, '  Now  and  forever ! '  Some  simply  said, '  Thank 
you,  General ;  thank  you,  Admiral.'  Others,  '  I  am  very 
glad  to  see  you.' 

"  The  ladies,  not  contented  with  shaking  the  hands  of 
the  guests,  and  expressing  in  words  their  appreciation  of 
their  patriotic  services,  saluted  them  with  kisses,  and  left 
the  impress  of  their  beauty  upon  the  lips  and  cheeks  of 
those  whom  they  addressed.  Admiral  Farragut  and  Gen- 
eral  Anderson  stood  all  such  attacks  with  composure,  if 
not  pleasure  ;  indeed  they  rather  seemed  to  like  them,  and 
so  did  the  audience,  for  every  lady  who  thus  expressed 
her  sentiments  was  liberally  applauded.  This  feminine 
expression  of  regard  and  confidence  was  indulged  in  by 
at  least  two  hundred  ladies,  representing  all  ages. 

"  The  ceremony  of  the  reception  occupied  about  an 
hour,  the  hist  to  greet  the  guests  being  the  platoon  of 
police  stationed  in  the  hall.  It  is  estimated  that  during 
the  levee  Admiral  Farragut  and  General  Anderson  shook 
hands  with  not  less  than  twenty-five  hundred  people.  At 
the  conclusion  of  the  hand-shakings  three  rousing  cheers 
were  given  for  each  of  the  city's  guests,  the  assembly  be- 
ug  led  by  his  Honor  the  Mayor.  The  cry  of  '  Speech! 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FARKAGUT.  339 

speech  !  speech  ! '  was  then  raised  all  over  the  hall.     Ad- 
miral Farragut  stepped  forward  and  said : 

"  *  MY  FELLOW-CITIZENS  :  I  can  only  say,  that  I  wish 
that  I  could  repay  the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  you  as 
easily  in  words  as  I  can  by  the  mere  shaking  of  hands, 
however  painful  this  operation  may  sometimes  be.  I 
once  more  return  you  my  thanks  for  your  kind  and  com- 
plimentary greetings.' " 

At  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  on  July  24th,  "Vice-Admiral 
Farragut,  wife,  and  son,  embarked  at  11  o'clock  A.  M., 
from  the  navy  yard,  on  the  United  States  steam-tug 
Port  Fire,  for  the  Isle  of  Shoals  and  Rye  Beach.  He 
was  attended  from  Admiral  Bailey's  residence  to  the 
wharf  by  Admiral  Bailey,  commandant  of  the  yard,  and 
his  family,  Capt.  A.  Murray,  Lieut.  Cushman,  Capt. 
Goldsboro,  and  their  families,  Naval  Constructor  Pook, 
Chief  Engineer  Bartleman,  and  other  distinguished 
officers.  At  the  wharf  he  was  met  and  saluted  by  the 
United  States  Marines  on  duty  at  the  yard,  under  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Jones ;  and  upon  his  reaching  the  hur- 
ricane deck  of  the  steamer,  was  introduced  to  the  em- 
ployes of  the  yard,  two  thousand  in  number,  who  had 
assembled  on  the  wharf  and  on  the  vessels  in  the  vicinity, 
by  Admiral  Bailey,  as  follows : 

"  '  Gentlemen,  I  take  pleasure  in  introducing  to  you 
Vice- Admiral  Farragut,  the  hero  of  many  hard-fought  bat- 
tles, and  one  who  has  done  as  much  to  crush  the  rebellion 


340  LIFE   OF    ADMIRAL   FAKRAGUT. 

as  any  other  man  in  the  United  States.  Gentlemen,  I  pro- 
pose three  times  three  cheers  for  Admiral  Farragut.'  The 
stentorian  lungs  of  the  '  bone  and  sinew '  of  the  yard  were 
at  once  put  in  effective  use,  and  such  lusty  cheers  you 
never  heard.  Admiral  Farragut,  in  a  few  characteristic 
remarks,  thanked  the  gentlemen  employed  in  the  yard 
for  the  honor  and  respect  paid  him,  and  stated  that  each 
of  them  had  while  building  ships  for  the  navy  contributed 
with  him  in  closing  the  wicked  rebellion,  and  that  he 
hoped  that  as  long  as  the  labor  was  performed  as  honest- 
ly  and  faithfully  as  at  present,  if  the  Government  needed 
them,  they  would  be  employed.  Three  cheers  were  again 
given  him  and  the  steamer  left  the  wharf.  As  he  passed 
the  United  States  Steamship  Pawnee,  late  flag-ship  of  Ad- 
miral Dahlgren,  the  yards  were  manned,  and  six  cheers 
given  for  the  '  Hero  of  the  Mississippi.' 

"A  farewell  salute  of  fifteen  guns  was  fired  by  the 
Vandalia  as  the  Admiral  steamed  out  of  the  harbor." 

We  close  this  outline  of  a  splendid  career,  with  ti 
poem  by  General  J.  Watts  De  Peyster : 

FARRAGUT. 
"  HARK,  Odin's  voice !  he  calls, 
And  vast  Valhalla's  walls — 
Palace  of  Immortality  an  J  Fame — 
Rock  as  he  thunders  forth  a  glorious  name, 

Farragut !     Farragut ! 
Who  'mid  death  and  flame 
Skill  unsurpass'd  displayed  in  war's  dread  game. 


LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL    FAKRAGUT. 

Yti  Scalds  your  harps  bring  forth, 

To  Vikings  of  the  North 

Sing  Sea  Chief  peerless, 

In  battle  fearless, 

OB  river,  sea,  achievements  past  outvying, 
Wears  rostrate  crown,  all  perils  known  defying, 

What  Caros  was  to  Romans,  upon  the  '  Narrow  Seas,' 
At  Salamis  to  Persians,  Athens'  Themistocles, 
Constantius  to  the  Franci,  off  Cadiz,  coast  of  Spain, 
That  fatal  spot  to  Frenchmen,  Trafalgar  o'er  again ; 
What  Rollo  was  to  Gallia,  when  up  Seine  swarmed  his  fleet, 
Blind  Daudolo  to  Byzance,  Kiuperli  to  Crete, 
What  Tromp,  with  broom  at  masthead,  and  'Pope  of  I^^AH    '»'• 
To  despot  foes  of  Holland,  who  to  dust  would  smite  het  ; 
What  Nelson  to  Napoleon,  Great  Britain's  great  Sea-Figi.  ,::, 
Ib  Farragut  to  Rebels,  who  never  yet  has  failed ; 
But  spite  of  forts,  rams,  iron -walls,  victoriously  sailed. 
Yc  Sea  Xings  in  Valhalla,  \\f-  lives  vour  worthy  peer, 
>rd  OdinN  gate*  will  open  wh«j  iMthe'-  he  shah1  au*ri, 
A.9  flew  the  chain  amicdur  W!UMI  thro'  the  waiting  foe 
UK  flag-ohip  Hartford's  peuuo*i  wav'd  o'er  the  hell  below, 
Fort  Jackson  and  Fort  Philip  triumphantly  defied — 
When  sunk  the  Rebel  navy  zicatli  Mississippi's  tide, 
Whose  wreck  and  corpae-s'iewn  current  dread  tokens  bore  to  sea, 
That  onwards  to  New  CiJohOS  to  Farragut  was  free. 
Fes,  onwards,  ever  victor,  the  starry  flag  steam'd  North, 
For  ever  greater  danger  his  greater  skill  called  forth. 
Until,  from  Vicksburg  fallen,  remain'd  on  stream  and  shore 
Nor  pirate  craft  nor  battery  to  birder  Commerce  more. 
And  then  with  fleet  refitted,  he  steam'd  through  Mobile  Bay, 
And  brush' il  the  Rebel  irou-clads  like  stingless  wasps  away. 


342  LIFE   OF   ADMIRAL   FARRAGUI. 

High  bound  unto  the  mast,  he  stood,  that  while  he  lived  bis  eight 

Might  mark  the  phase  of  battle  and  regulate  the  fight. 

Fort  Gaines  first  struck  her  colors,  Fort  Morgan  batter'd  fell ; 

Oh !  was  there  ever  Admiral  perform'd  his  task  so  well  ? 

To  Farragut  all  glory !  the  Sea-Kings'  worthy  peer, 

Columbia's  greatest  Seaman,  without  reproach  or  fear. 

To  Farragut  all  honor !  to  him  the  rostrate  crown, 

Who  from  her  place  of  strength  and  pride  the  Rebel  flag  tore  down 

To  Farragut  be  endless  praise,  the  hero,  sailor  man, 

The  boldest  Captain  trod  a  deck  since  history  began." 


In  1 86fi.  T  'ice-Admiral  Farragut  was  created  Admiral, 
Mid  wcv.i-  to  the  Old  World  in  the  ship  Franklin,  visiting 
many  r '  the  principal  places  in  Europe,  Asia,  and 
Africa.  He  was  everywhere  received  with  the  highest 
honors.  Not  long  after  his  return  to  America  he 
visited  California,  and  while  on  his  way  back  con- 
tracted a  disease  of  which  he  died,  August  14th,  1870 
at  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  in  the  fiflth  ye?-  of  his  agt . 


001155  297    3 


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